Inside InuYasha
by 11chiyochan
Summary: Chiyo is a normal girl; until she finds herself trapped inside the show InuYasha. With Naraku wanting her dead, InuYasha hating her, and a mysterious digital watch appearing on her arm, no wonder she's struggling not to have a mental breakdown.
1. Bridge 1: Chapter 1: The Entering

**Laura:** Thanks for choosing my fanfic guys! I promise, you won't be disappointed!

**InuYasha:** Why do I have to suffer by being in this crap fanfic?! I mean, anyone who would actually _want_ to read it is total basta-

**Kagome:** InuYasha! _**Sit boy!**_

**InuYasha:** CRASH !#!#

**Laura: **(sweatdrop)...ok, anyway...there might be a couple of spoilers in this, so if you don't know what 'InuKag' means or what happens at Mt. Hakurei, I recommend you don't read this! Anyway, enjoy!

**InuYasha:** _...groan..._

* * *

**Chapter 1 – The Entering**

"...Kagome...I'm sorry, about what happened. I wasn't there for you."

"...it's okay. Really."

"It is not okay! I let you get into serious danger!" ..._any later, and I would've lost Kagome, too._

"...but if you were to hear news of Kikyou's whereabouts, you'd go off to look for her again, wouldn't you?"

"No I WOULDN'T! I will never leave you again, Kagome!"

"...you're a liar."

"_I AM NOT_!"

"Just who do you think you're kidding?! I've know you long enough to learn a few things about you, y'know! And you would _definitely go_!"

"...arrrgh..."

"...and if you do go, then I'll be upset. But that's to be expected, right?"

"...Kagome..."

Kagome shuffled over to lay herself on InuYasha's chest. InuYasha stared at her.

"...hey, you're really mad, aren't you?"

"...yes, I suppose I am." She sighed. _InuYasha will never forget Kikyou. But I still love him, so there's nothing I can do._

Kagome relaxed and smiled, closing her eyes. InuYasha blinked, then smiled with her.

_Thank you, Kagome._

* * *

Suddenly, the scene cut and credits appeared, with the backing track 'Song of Truth.' Chiyo leaned back in her chair and stretched, smiling and humming along to the tune. When the credits finished, she closed the internet page down, leaving a screen dotted with icons and an InuYasha background. Her smile changed to a grin, and she laughed out loud (no, not 'lol'). The familiar, angry face of her favourite character in the world, InuYasha, stared out at her from the computer screen. Chiyo suddenly jumped up out of her chair and started spinning around the room; her way of getting rid of her hyperactive energy. But she soon started to get dizzy, so she went to sit back down. Unfortunately, she missed the chair and fell into the toy box beside it instead. Chiyo sighed and rubbed her head – this was the third time she'd fallen here this week. And it was only Tuesday! She grabbed onto the computer desk and pulled herself out of the box just as the computer made a beeping sound. Chiyo checked the screen and saw she had received an IM from her friend Ookami. She sat on the chair this time and read the message.

**-**

**FullMetalShadowWolf:**_ tell me uv finished watching the episodes now!_

-

Chiyo laughed. Ookami had been bugging her all day to see what InuYasha episodes she had watched. She quickly typed back;

-

**InuFan4eva:** _yes, iv watched them._

**FullMetalShadowWolf: **a_wesome! how touching is it?!_

**InuFan4eva: **i_ know! i nearly cried at the end!_

**FullMetalShadowWolf: **_u really hav to finish watching the series soon. then u can start watching FullMetal Alchemist!_

-

Chiyo laughed again. Ookami wasn't just an InuYasha Fan, but a Full Metal Alchemist Fan as well.

-

**InuFan4eva:** _lol. il try. but we hav restricted internet usage, so its hard._

**FullMetalShadowWolf: **_(rubs temples) god, ur computer annoys me._

**InuFan4eva: **tell me about it.

**InuFan4eva: **_anyway, g2g. dad & mum'l b hom soon._

**FullMetalShadowWolf: **_wat, arnt u supposed 2 b on the computer?_

**InuFan4eva: **_(sweatdrop) wel, uhh, y'see..._

**FullMetalShadowWolf: **_lol! kk, cya skool!_

**InuFan4eva: **_cya!_

**FullMetalShadowWolf has logged off**

-

Chiyo signed off as well. She checked the time. 12:43. Her parents really would be home soon – any minute. She closed down the MSN page, and once again the angry face of InuYasha glared at her from the screen. Chiyo stared back at it for a few moments, then clicked the shut down button. She stood up, yawned, and then proceeded to walk downstairs. She thought about the last 5 (or was it 6?) InuYasha episodes she had just seen, pondering. InuYasha had killed Bankotsu in the depths of Mt. Hakurei, and they had found Naraku creating a new body for himself inside the mountain. Naraku had also managed to expel his heart from inside him, giving him the ability to be able to kill Kikyou. Naraku had then sought out the priestess and killed her. InuYasha had grieved for Kikyou and blamed himself for mot being able to save her. While InuYasha had let his guard down, Kagura had captured Kagome and tried to corrupt her with the aid of a tainted jewel shard and Naraku's expelled heart, Akanbo. Akanbo was in the form of a child, but by no means did he act like one. Kagome was nearly overcome by darkness, but she had held strong till InuYasha had came and saved her. Kagome was mad at him, but she still wanted to stay with him, no matter what, because she loved him (tear!).

_'If I had been there,' _Chiyo thought, _'Naraku wouldn't have gotten away so easily. I swear if I had the chance, that bastard _(Chiyo had picked up a bit of language from the show) _would wish he'd never been born! But I guess I'm sorta glad he killed Kikyou; now InuYasha will finally pay attention to Kagome! If I could, I would go and give that InuYasha a piece of my mind and tell him to get his butt in gear and tell Kagome how he feels about her!_

_..._

_and then I'd probably ask him if I could play with his Tetsuaiga. I mean, how cool would it be if I could actually use the Wind Scar or the Backlash Wave?'_

"In fact, how cool would it be to be in the show 'InuYasha' full stop?!"

This, Chiyo said out loud. All of this pondering had only gone on for a few seconds, and she wasn't even halfway to the stairs yet. As soon as she said those words, she laughed. "Yeah, I _wish_!" she snickered. "As if _that _could ever happen!" She was cracking up now, even though it wasn't that funny. It must've been because of her good mood.

Suddenly, a high-pitched keening sound filled the air. Chiyo stopped laughing, and her hands flew to her ears in a pathetic attempt to block out the sound. She spun around to see the computer, which she had presumably turned off, going haywire. The screen was flashing fast enough to give someone a seizure, the mouse was jerking across its mat and the computer itself was smoking. Chiyo raced back to the desk and gazed in shock at what was happening.

"What the hell is going on?!" she yelled over the noise. She forced herself to take one hand away from her ear, and she grabbed onto the mouse.

Big mistake.

Immediately, Chiyo received a huge electric shock. She felt like millions of red-hot needles were raking out her insides, and she screamed in pain. She tried to let go of the mouse, but her limbs wouldn't listen to her brain. Chiyo didn't know how long she stood there screaming; it could've been 3 seconds or 3 hours. All that she was aware of was the unimaginable pain racing through her veins, pulsing through her bloodstream.

And then, as suddenly as it had started, it stopped, and all Chiyo could see was darkness. She could feel herself being dragged into unconsciousness against her will, and her senses were fading fast. But, before she blacked out completely, Chiyo could swear she heard laughter; sickeningly, evil, _familiar_ laughter.

She swear she did.

* * *

**Laura:** And so, the plot unfolds!

**InuYasha:** You haven't revealed anything yet!!

**Chiyo:** Please don't let me die!

**Laura:** Relax! You don't die...yet.

**Chiyo:** Waaaaaah?!

**All:** (sweatdrop)

**Laura:** Anyways, it gets better! Read on...

**Chiyo:** (holding a pen) Gimme the script NOW!

**Laura:** (runs off with script) Noooooo! It's my story, I can do what I want with it!


	2. Chapter 2: The Meeting

**InuYasha: **What the hell are you guys are doing back here?!

**Shippo: **Cause they want to read on. _Duh._

**Chiyo: **Hey, InuYasha, can I touch your ears?

**InuYasha:** WHAT?! NO!!

**Chiyo:** Kyaa! But they're so soft! (reaches up to grab them)

**InuYasha: **Geroff, geroff!! (anime falls)

**Laura: **(sighs) A little concentration on the story would be very much appreciated. (clears throat) Moving on...enjoy Chapter Two!

* * *

Chapter 2: The Meeting

Chiyo slowly became aware that she could feel her body again. The blackness that had pulled her down into unconsciousness was gradually fading away. That, at least, seemed like a good thing.

Then the pain came.

It wasn't as bad as before, but it was enough to make Chiyo wish she was unconscious again. Moving didn't seem like an option – her muscles were too sore. Chiyo slowly opened her eyes. It looked like she was in...a forest? It was nighttime, and she could hear a fire crackling beside her. She could smell the smoke, too; it was so strong that it made her eyes water. A groan escaped Chiyo's lips – the pain was getting worse. Something moved somewhere close by, and Chiyo heard footsteps; a person? Well, yeah, _someone_ had to have lit the fire. But who could it be? Was Chiyo in danger? She tried to get up, but a sharp pain stabbed at her spine; so much for that idea. The footsteps were getting louder, closer. A voice came next. "Oh good, your awake." It was a girl's voice, and it sounded strangely familiar to Chiyo. Whoever it was knelt down next to her, and finally came into view.

Whatever pain Chiyo had been feeling before, she completely forgot it the instant she saw the girls face.

Chiyo jumped up and squealed in shock, then clipped the back of her heel on a rock and fell over backwards, landing on her back (did I forget to mention that Chiyo is rather clumsy?). The other girl jumped up, startled, then came over and knelt beside Chiyo again. "Are you alright?" she asked, looking anxious. "What's wrong?"

_'I'm dreaming I'm dreaming I'm dreaming I'm dreaming I'm dreaming I'm dreaming...' _Chiyo shouted over and over again in her mind. She tried to speak, but her mouth just kept opening and closing, like she was trying to imitate a guppy or something. "Are you alright?!" the girl asked again, becoming frantic. Chiyo couldn't just stay silent. She forced herself to gulp, to remember how to speak. She opened her mouth, and whispered;

"...Kagome...?!"

There was no mistaking it. The wavy, black hair with the big fringe on the side, the brown eyes, the green-and-white school uniform with the red tassel Chiyo loved, the knee-high white socks, even the square-ish brown school shoes! There was no doubt that this girl kneeling beside Chiyo was Kagome Higurashi, the teenaged heroine of 'InuYasha.' That would also explain why her voice had been so familiar as well. The only thing that Chiyo wasn't sure about was, well...

HOW?!

Kagome gasped softly, her mouth briefly in an 'o' shape before she abruptly snapped it shut. She stared at Chiyo like she'd just grown another head. After what seemed like a very long silence, she finally said, "...how do you know my name...?"

Suddenly, there was a stabbing pain in Chiyo's chest, and she sat up, gasping and clutching her torso. Kagome jumped up and ran to her bag (the same oversized, yellow one that she always carried with her in the episodes), quickly returning with a small bottle of pink liquid. "The medicine must be wearing off," she mumbled to herself, unscrewing the lid. She produced a spoon from her pocket, then poured the liquid carefully onto it. "Here, drink this," she told Chiyo, handing the spoon to her. "It may taste funny, but it'll help stop the pain."

Chiyo took the spoon in a shaking hand and thrust it into her mouth, swallowing loudly. Gradually, as the medicine took effect, the throbbing pain in her chest dulled, and her breathing slowed back down to a normal pace. All the while Kagome didn't take her eyes off Chiyo. Chiyo, on the other hand, avoided Kagome's gaze at all costs. They both sat in silence, seeming to be waiting for the other one to talk. It was so quiet, Chiyo could hear the sound of everything around her; she could even hear the footsteps of a beetle crossing the ground in front of her. Chiyo frowned, staring at the bug. How could she possibly be able to hear it that clearly and loudly?

Kagome suddenly cleared her throat, causing Chiyo to jump at the noise. How come everything was so_ loud_?

"Umm..." Kagome didn't know how to begin. "So...has the pain, y'know, gone?"

Chiyo nodded stiffly, still not looking up.

"Uh, well...I really don't think I know you, but...you seem to know me."

Chiyo flinched, but otherwise didn't respond. Kagome waited until the silence became awkward again. "So..." she started again, "I guess...what I'm trying to say is...how do you know my name?"

Chiyo still kept silent. She was still getting over that the fact that she was sitting right next to _Kagome._

**KA-GO-ME!**

She took a deep breath, and tried to clear her head. She needed to answer Kagome soon; she couldn't just sit here in silence forever. Chiyo lifted her head and finally looked at Kagome. The shock of her being here hit her again, but Chiyo forced herself to mentally compose herself and answer. She took another deep breath, and opened her mouth to answer. But she never got the chance.

For that instant, something suddenly slammed into her with the force of a tow truck.

Chiyo felt a rush of the cold night air as she was sent flying, then was winded as she smacked into a tree. A hand closed around her neck, pinning her against the trunk.

"Ah! What are you doing?!" Chiyo heard Kagome cry.

"Who are you?! What were you doing to Kagome?!" an angry, threatening voice yelled at her. Chiyo's heart missed a beat at the sound of that voice – it was even more familiar than Kagome's had been. She didn't need to look down to see who had her pinned here, but she did anyway. The same angry face as her computer background stared back at her, only this time it wasn't just an image on a screen; it was _real_.

InuYasha.

Chiyo felt entirely ecstatic, completely bewildered and utterly petrified all at the same time. Here was her absolute favourite character in the whole world, InuYasha, _standing right in front of her. _On the other hand, he was threatening to kill her because, in his eyes, he thought she was here to hurt Kagome. And that is **not** a good thing for InuYasha to think about you if you valued your life.

Man, was this the worst situation Chiyo could possibly be in now.

InuYasha pressed his hand tighter on Chiyo's throat, and his claws dug into her neck. Chiyo gasped as they punctured her skin, and spots of blood appeared. "Answer me!!" he yelled at her. Chiyo tried to speak, to explain that she didn't mean any harm, but she couldn't; InuYasha's hand was too tight on her neck.

"Let her go, InuYasha!" yelled Kagome. "She can't breath! Look at her, she's turning blue!"

"No! You're in danger, Kagome! She's here to kill us!"

Chiyo couldn't breath, but she could manage to shake her head just the slightest bit.

"You see, InuYasha? Let her go or she'll suffocate!!"

"But Kagome! She stinks of-"

"**SIT BOY!**"

Suddenly the pressure left Chiyo's throat, and the next instant a loud crash echoed through the forest. Chiyo crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw InuYasha spread out in his usual 'sit' position. Kagome ran up to Chiyo and checked her neck, which was now covered in a great deal of blood. Kagome scowled and turned to InuYasha. "Look what you did!" she yelled at him. "You idiot! You're so outrageous sometimes!"

InuYasha pulled his face out of the ground and looked up at Kagome. "_I'm_ the idiot?!" he shouted back. "What about _you_? How could you possibly want to protect her?!" InuYasha was now getting to his feet, and he was glaring at Chiyo.

"But...I haven't...done...anything..." Chiyo gasped. "I...I don't...even know...how I got here..." She than began a forceful fit of coughing and, to her horror, specks of blood flew out from her mouth onto the ground.

"Oh, don't give me that pitiful _'I'm innocent'_ crap!!" InuYasha spat at Chiyo. He turned to Kagome. "I'm serious, Kagome, we can't trust her!" he said to her, in a gentler tone.

"And why, might I ask, can't we? What has she done?!" Kagome yelled back, not bothering to be gentle at all.

InuYasha then drew his sword, the Tetsuaiga, and pointed it at Chiyo. If Chiyo had not been on the verge of death, she might have gasped in awe. But instead, she almost fainted in fear.

"Because," InuYasha said with a voice full of hate, "she absolutely _reeks_ of Naraku!!"

* * *

**Laura:** Dun-dun-DUUUUUUN!!

**Chiyo:** Why do I have to be the one who stinks all the time?

**InuYasha: **Because you have B.O. problems.

**Kagome: **InuYasha!

**InuYasha: **What? It's a fact of life! The truth hurts, y'know.

**Kagome: **(whispers) If you're going to say that, be subtle about it! (to Chiyo) Here, Chiyo, have these. I don't really need'em, so you can have them. (hands Chiyo 10 cans of deodorant, a box of perfumes and 5 tubes of toothpaste)

**Chiyo: **...(sweatdrop)


	3. Chapter 3: The Realising

**Laura: **...zzz...

**Kagome: **Laura! Laura, wake up, the readers are here! LAURA!!

**Laura: **...huh...what?...oh, OH! Right, the readers! (Yawns) Sorry about that!

**Chiyo: **You're missing out on a fair bit of sleep writing this fanfic, y'know. You should really take a break.

**InuYasha: **She's right. If you're half asleep when you're writing this, you might write something that'll make me look bad.

**Laura: **(Yawns again) But guys...I'm fine, really...

**Kagome: **...Laura?

**Laura: **...zzz...

**Chiyo: **Right guys, I think we'll have to open this chapter ourselves...

**InuYasha: **Right idiots, here's the next chapter, read it or I'll Iron Reaver Soul Stealer you, yadah yadah yadah.

**Kagome: **Enjoy!

* * *

Chiyo felt dazed. She didn't know what was real or not anymore. This just _couldn't_ be real. She was an enemy? She reeked of Naraku? InuYasha was standing right in front of her wielding his Tetsuaiga?! No. None of it could be real. She had to be dreaming. But you couldn't feel pain in dreams, and Chiyo was feeling a lot of pain right now.

Chiyo groaned. Thinking was confusing her. She had to stop before she had a mental breakdown.

"What?!" Kagome exclaimed, gaping at InuYasha. She turned to Chiyo, who was still coughing, then quickly moved over so she was beside InuYasha. _'Great,' _Chiyo thought. _'Now even Kagome thinks I'm an enemy!'_

InuYasha growled at Chiyo, and she saw his body tense. Any second now he would come at her, ready to chop her into sushi. And Kagome wasn't going to stop him now.

Chiyo finally stopped coughing, and she waved her hands about frantically and shook her head. "No," she said, her voice hoarse, "I'm not with Naraku, I swear! I...I hate that bastard more than you could even imagine..." Chiyo took one look at InuYasha and saw that her pleading wasn't working.

Kagome, however, looked unsure who to believe. "InuYasha...I don't sense any demonic aura around her," she said quietly. "Are you sure..."

"Yes, I'm sure!" InuYasha cut her off. "There's _no_ mistaking his scent!"

Chiyo stared at the ground, on the verge of tears. _'I'm going to die,' _she thought miserably. Her head drooped lower, and her hair fell around her face. It was then that Chiyo noticed that her usual brown, wavy hair was longer; much, much longer.

"But InuYasha," Kagome said, "dontcha think that if she was in league with Naraku that she would've tried to kill us by now?"

"You know how devious Naraku is, Kagome! She could be here to trick us or something!"

Chiyo stared at her hair, fingering it absently. It was then that she saw that her hair wasn't the only thing that had grown. Her nails had lengthened considerably as well. And they were...sharp?

"But just _look_ at her! You nearly killed her before. How is she supposed to serve Naraku if she's dead?!"

Chiyo was barely listening now. Staring at her hands, she caught sight of her clothing. It was red, and very loose, drooping down onto the ground. She couldn't see very well in the dark, but it looked like there was black string stitched through the sleeves as well.

"Kagome, Naraku kills his servants all the time! Why should this one matter to him?"

Suddenly, it struck Chiyo that all these things – the longer hair, the sharp nails, and the clothing – all belonged to one thing. She froze, and her eyes bulged. _'No,' _she thought, _'There is no way that that could possibly have happened!...but what if it has? There'd be one other thing...'_

Slowly, ever so slowly, Chiyo's hands ascended upwards, towards the top of her head.

"But InuYasha, can't you feel her aura? What aura is it?"

InuYasha paused, then inhaled deeply. "See?" Kagome continued. "You can even smell the human in her!"

Chiyo's hands reached the top of her head, and she felt her way through the hair. Her hands froze as she found what she was feeling for, a pair of small, furry points that rose up above her head.

"Why would Naraku even consider having a _half-demon_ help him?!" Kagome exclaimed.

The words confirmed it. Chiyo couldn't believe it, but it was true. She had somehow been taken into the show 'InuYasha,' just like she had wished before. Somehow, Naraku's scent was all over her, and InuYasha wanted her dead.

And somehow, Chiyo had become a half-demon.

This was all too much for her to bear, and she fainted.

* * *

The first thing that told Chiyo she was conscious again was that her nose itched.

Some sort of floral, incense smell was irritating it. Chiyo could hear things as well; someone was mumbling something in a dialect she couldn't understand next to her, and occasionally footsteps could be heard. Chiyo suddenly sneezed, and the mumbling stopped. So did the footsteps. Chiyo sneezed again, then slowly opened her eyes. She could make out the dim outline of a head peering over her. Gradually it came into focus. It was a young man, with black hair that was tied into a small rat-tail at the back. He had gold earrings in one ear, and Chiyo could see a small bit of his clothing, which was black and purple.

Chiyo had seen this face many times before, but never like this.

Abruptly, Chiyo sat up, nearly whacking the man in the head. He jumped back and exclaimed in shock, but Chiyo barely noticed. She was in a house; an old, wooden hut that she recognized all too well. There were other people here, too – Kagome was kneeling beside her, and another woman in a pink and green kimono sat close by. In the corner by a small fire, there were two more figures; a large old woman with long gray hair and dressed in priestesses' clothing, and a tiny, orange-haired boy with a bushy fox tail.

Chiyo knew every single person in the room.

"Sango, Shippo, Kagome, Miroku, Kaede," she whispered, and several gasps were emitted into the room. Chiyo noticed that she was covered in small, rectangular pieces of paper with unreadable characters painted on them – they were subrogation sutras. _'Why would I be covered in sutras?' _Chiyo thought. _'...oh, hold on!' _Suddenly she remembered the events that had occurred the last time she was conscious, and her hands flew up to the top of her head. Well, at least, Chiyo _tried_ to move her hands to the top of her head, but she realized that they were tied behind her back. Her feet were bound as well. Everyone must still be afraid of her, thinking that she was a...a..._half-demon _that worked for Naraku. "Unbelievable," Chiyo whispered, shaking her head. "Simply unbelievable."

Miroku suddenly cleared his throat, and Chiyo turned to look at him. He was holding a small jar of oil, which was the source of the floral smell that had made her sneeze before.

"Well, it seems like Kagome spoke the truth," he said. "You do know her name. And, it seems, everyone else's."

Chiyo blinked, taking in what he had said. She stared at the jar again, then asked, "Were you covering me in that stuff?"

Miroku paused, then looked at the jar in his hand. "Oh, you mean this?" he replied, holding up the jar. "Yes, I was. You see, InuYasha refuses to come inside until we get rid of Naraku's scent on you."

"Inu...Yasha..." Chiyo repeated, then she gasped, remembering again. "Where is he?!"

"He's just outside," Kagome reassured her. Saying that, she turned and called out the doorway, "InuYasha! She's awake! And the scent _must _be gone by now, we've used about six bottles!"

There was a pause, then suddenly InuYasha barged in, with his usual angry face on. He came and sat down next to Kagome, glaring at Chiyo. She winced.

"I still can't believe you're taking _her_ side," he sneered. Kagome ignored him. Miroku chuckled under his breath. "You know how many sit commands it took Kagome to convince InuYasha to let you come here alive?" he asked Chiyo. Chiyo said nothing. "15," Kagome answered. "It took me 15 tries before he would even let me near you." Chiyo's mouth dropped open. _'15?!' _she thought. _'Does he really hate me that much?'_ She felt faint again, and went to lie back down. Miroku caught her behind the back and held her face. "Now, now," he said to her, gazing into her eyes, "we can't have you passing out again just yet. We've got a couple of questions we'd like to ask you first."

Chiyo could imagine what sort of "questions" Miroku would like to ask her.

Miroku gripped her tighter, and opened his mouth to speak.

"No, I don't want to bear you child Miroku! For god's sake, I'm only 13!" Chiyo groaned. Miroku was so surprised at her outburst he dropped her. "Ow!" Chiyo exclaimed, rubbing her head. She sat up again, only to find everyone (except InuYasha) gaping at her.

"How..." Miroku gasped, "how did you know I was going to say that?!"

Sango's mouth snapped shut, and she glared at Miroku. "Oh, you _were_ going to say that, were you?" she said, her voice low and dangerous. Miroku suddenly looked very afraid. "Uh, well, no, uh...I mean, yes...gah! I mean, ummm...maybe?"

Sango gritted her teeth, and an anger mark appeared above her head. This was such a typical Miroku-Sango situation that Chiyo almost laughed.

"Now, now, Sango!" Kagome said nervously. "We have more important things to be worrying about right now." She turned back to Chiyo. "First, it might be a good start if we knew _your_ name, since you already know all of ours." She looked at Chiyo expectantly.

"My name?" Chiyo replied. She paused. "My name is...Chiyo."

Kagome nodded. "Chiyo." she repeated. She turned to InuYasha. "Chiyo means 'butterfly.' Gee, that sounds like the perfect name for one of Naraku's servants, hey?"

InuYasha muttered something under his breath that sounded a lot like 'idiot.'

Kagome frowned. "Do you want to make it 16?" she growled at him. InuYasha suddenly looked fearful. "No!" he said meekly. Chiyo couldn't help herself. She giggled under her breath.

InuYasha's head snapped up to look up at her. He glared at her furiously and bared his teeth at her. "That's IT!!" he yelled, and lunged at Chiyo. Chiyo squealed and ducked her head. But before he could get to her, Kagome yelled "InuYasha, SIT!!"

InuYasha's beads around his neck glowed, and he slammed into the floor inches away from Chiyo. Kagome sighed. "InuYasha, why do you have to make everything so hard?"

A muffled groan could be heard from InuYasha underneath the floorboards. He wrenched his head out of the wood, leaving a head-sized hole in the floor. He glared at Chiyo and looked about ready to rip her limb from limb. Shippo scurried over from the corner and jumped onto his head. "InuYasha, I suggest you keep your mouth shut unless you want to end up in that sit position permanently," her told him. InuYasha growled, but sat up and obediently stayed quiet.

"Now, where were we?" Kagome continued, as if nothing had happened. "Oh, right. So your name's Chiyo." She paused, thinking. "So, Chiyo, do have any idea how you ended up unconscious in the middle of the forest last night?"

Chiyo thought hard. What _had _happened before she'd mysteriously ended up in the middle of a TV show last night?...She could remember watching InuYasha, and the events of Mt. Hakurei. Then...oh yeah, then her friend Ookami talked to her on MSN, asking about the episodes. Then she went to walk downstairs, but...she didn't make it down. Why not? Chiyo couldn't remember. She thought harder...she could remember a high pitched noise, and the smell of smoke...

"Holy moly, the computer!!" Chiyo suddenly yelled, making everyone jump out of their skin. She remembered now! The computer had begun malfunctioning or something, and she'd got an electric shock. The next time she had awoken, Kagome had been kneeling beside her. So...did the computer have something to do with her being here?

"Did you...did you say computer?!" Kagome exclaimed, staring at Chiyo. Chiyo nodded, and Kagome's mouth dropped open. InuYasha stared at her, then at Chiyo. "What's a kom-pyu-tar?" he asked her sharply. Chiyo opened her mouth to explain, then closed it again when she realized that she didn't know how. Well, what exactly _was_ a computer? You just couldn't describe it.

"Well?!" InuYasha was getting impatient. Kagome shook her head. "Let it go, InuYasha," she said softly. She gazed at Chiyo. "...how do you know what a computer is?" she asked.

_'Well, why wouldn't I know what one was?' _Chiyo was about to say. But then she remembered that she wasn't exactly 'human,' or didn't look it anyway. To everyone else, she looked like a half-demon and smelt like their worst enemy. But she _wasn't_a half-demon, and she _shouldn't_ smell like Naraku. She didn't know whether Kagome (or anyone else, for that matter) would believe her or not, but she'd have to try. She looked Kagome in the eye (her mother had taught her to do this to prove she wasn't lying), took a deep breath, and said;

"Because I come from the same world as you, Kagome."

Everything was silent. Kagome looked like she was going into a state of shock. Everyone else (even InuYasha now) was gawking at Chiyo. The silence droned on and on, and Chiyo began to feel very awkward. She then did the weirdest thing – she sweatdropped. It was the strangest sensation; it felt like some big, damp, rubbery thing was sliding down the back of your head, then it would suddenly disappear.

Kaede was the first to recover. "Did ye say that ye were from the same place that Kagome appears from?"

Shippo turned to Chiyo. "What, you mean you came from the Bone Eater's Well?" he asked her.

Chiyo shook her head. "Well, not exactly like Kagome..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say next.

"Well, how?" Miroku asked.

"Aye, how?" Kaede repeated (I love writing in old speak for Kaede!). "If not from the Bone Eater's Well, how?"

Chiyo shook her head again. "It's hard to explain. Even I don't know what happened fully. It's not like I actually planned on coming here." She turned back to Kagome. "Kagome, what's your favourite TV show?"

"Huh?" Kagome asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Just answer, please," Chiyo urged.

Kagome thought for a bit. "Well, I guess it would have to be...Fruits Basket. Why?"

Chiyo took in another deep breath (she must've broken the world record for taking in so many deep breaths at one time by now). "Do you want to know what my favourite TV show is?"

Kagome looked at her like she was insane, but she shrugged and said "...o-kaaaaaaaaay..."

"My favourite TV show is – " Chiyo was about to say 'InuYasha,' but that would probably just make the situation a whole lot worse and a lot more awkward. Instead she said, "My favourite TV show is based on everything that happens here, to all you guys."

Kagome paused, taking in the information, then her eyes bulged. "What?! You mean...that's how you knew all our names?!"

Chiyo nodded. "I know about the Shikon Jewel shards and Naraku and how all of you met and all that other stuff." She looked around, and everyone (except Kagome) looked doubtful. "What, you don't believe me?" she asked. "Go ahead, ask me any question about yourselves. I betcha I can answer it."

"What's my swords name?" InuYasha shot at her. So he _had_ been listening.

"The Tetsuaiga," Chiyo answered promptly. "You can use its sheath for deflecting numerous attacks, and with it you can perform moves like the Wind Scar and the Backlash Wave. Oh, and also Adamant Barrage. It was made from your father's fang by a guy named Totosai, and your step-brother Sesshomaru wants it desperately."

InuYasha blinked, not expecting such a detailed answer. Then his fists clenched, and an anger mark appeared above his head. "Why you little..." her growled through clenched teeth.

"Oh, oh, I have a question!" Shippo said excitedly.

"Yes?" Chiyo replied.

A cheeky grin crossed Shippo's face. "Who does InuYasha always go to off to see, and whenever he goes Kagome gets really ticked off at him?"

BONK!!

"Owowowowow!!" Shippo cried, as a bald lump appeared on his head. "That hurt, InuYasha!!"

"Well that'll teach ya to shut your trap and keep your nose outta other people's business!!" InuYasha yelled at Shippo.

Kagome sweatdropped. "Sorry, uh, Chiyo," she said," she said awkwardly. "You didn't need to hear that."

"Right, of course! I didn't need to hear that, I don't need to answer." Chiyo said much too quickly. All eyes in the room turned to her, and it went dead silent. Now Chiyo was the one who sweatdropped.

"Are you...saying that you know the answer?" Kagome asked quietly. Something about her tone made Chiyo even more frantic.

"Well, y'know, I-I don't...of course not! I mean, how crazy would that be! I don't..."

Kagome continued to stare at Chiyo. She sweatdropped again, sighed, and hunched over, defeated. "You guys aren't buying any of this, are you?" she asked.

"No," everyone answered.

Chiyo sighed again. "Yes, unfortunately I know the answer to Shippo's question is...is...is Kikyou," she mumbled.

Chiyo counted about 30 anger marks appear above InuYasha's head.

"Kagome, can I speak with you outside for a minute?" he snarled through his teeth.

Kagome sighed, then nodded stiffly. They both got up and walked out of the hut (well, Kagome walked – InuYasha did something that was more like stomping than walking). It was quiet for a few seconds, then everyone turned to Chiyo.

"How _do_ ye know all this knowledge about us?" Kaede asked.

"What _is_ a kom-pyu-tar?" Miroku asked

"What's a _tee-vee show_?" Shippo asked.

"How did you get here if you didn't come through the Bone Eater's Well?" Sango asked.

Chiyo looked around at all the expectant faces surrounding her, and sighed.

"Oy, this is gonna take awhile."

**

* * *

**

Laura:

Man, InuYasha, do you have some anger management issues!

**InuYasha: **Hey, you're the one writing this!

**Chiyo: **Well, at least I don't have to touch InuYasha's ears now.

**InuYasha: **Huh?

**Kagome: **What? Why?

**Chiyo: **Because now I can just touch my own now! (rubs ears) Kyaa! They're so warm and fuzzy!

**Shippo: **If you like those, then you should feel my tail!

**All: **(sweatdrop)

**Laura:** O-kaaaaaaaaay...oh, right! Guys, there's an Omake Theatre below! See ya in Chapter 4!

**

* * *

**

Omake Theatre

Chiyo felt faint again, and went to lie back down. Miroku caught her behind the back and held her face. "Now, now," he said to her, gazing into her eyes, "we can't have you passing out again just yet. We've got a couple of questions we'd like to ask you first." He cleared his throat. "First of all," he continued, "Will you bear my child?"

Silence. Then...

"Oh Miroku, yes! Of course I will bear your child!" Chiyo cried, throwing herself onto Miroku. They both toppled over onto Kaede, just as Sango turned to InuYasha.

"InuYasha, I need to confess..." she said to him, "...I've always loved you!!'

InuYasha blinked, then smiled. "Me too, Sango!" He and Sango then danced around the room holding hands.

"Hey, no fair!" Kagome shouted. "Who loves me then?!"

"I certainly don't, Kagome!" Shippo exclaimed. ""I love Kirara!"

"Nyaa?!" Kirara cried.

"That's it!" Kagome yelled, and she stabbed InuYasha to death with a spork.


	4. Chapter 4: The Fight

**Laura:** Oh my gosh guys, I'm so sorry that this chapter has come up so late! I've had so many assignments dumped on me all at one time, so I've been in a homework crisis for a while. But here is (finally) the fourth chapter!

**Kagome:** Hey Laura, can I ask you something?

**Laura: **Yep. What's up?

**Kagome: **What the heck is with the 'spork' in the Omake Theatre?

**Laura: **Oh, that!Well, that's, err...something me and my friends sorta joke about. (ehe)

**InuYasha: **What friends? How can _you _have friends?

**Laura:** Hey! Grr...I'll show you! ENTER FRIENDS!

**Sara/Kathryn/Yvette/Ruby (aka 'Laura's Friends'):** Hai! (Yes!)

**InuYasha: **......

**Chiyo: **(stifles a giggle)

**Laura: **Friends! Show them how funny the spork is!

**Ruby: **(holds up a spork)

**Sara/Kathryn/Yvette: **BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

**IY Cast: **(sweatdrop)

**Chiyo: **Can we just get on with the chapter please?

**Laura: **Hold on, I'm not done yet! Review response time!

**IY Cast:** Ugh...

* * *

**Laura:** Thank you, **Zilo Sugarpill**! I'm glad you liked the Omake!

**IY Cast:** We didn't.

**Laura:** Why not? It was funny!

**InuYasha/Sango:** We danced together.

**Shippo:** I hugged Kirara.

**Chiyo:** I jumped onto Miroku!

**Miroku:** You didn't enjoy that, Chiyo? I did!

**Chiyo:** (glares daggers at Miroku)

**Laura:** Everyone!!

**Everyone:** What?

**Laura:** You must now all look up to me as a GENIUS! **Zilo** said I was one!

**InuYasha:** (shakes head) Will she ever learn to read properly?

**Kagome:** Laura, she said your _Omake_ was genius, not you.

**Laura:** (fantasizing and grinning stupidly)...kyaa! I'm a genius...

**Everyone:** (sweatdrop)...she's getting a swelled head...

* * *

**Laura:** Oh **fullmetalshadowwolf**, thank you so much for taking the time to read my 'extremely detailed profile!'

**InuYasha:** Congrats. You officially have no life whatsoever if you can read all that.

**Kagome:** I wouldn't say that, InuYasha! I guess she's just got a lot of time on her hands.

**InuYasha:** Yeah. That _and_ no life.

**Kagome:** (sigh)

* * *

**Laura:** To **hell-of-a-gal**...I am perfectly aware of the fact that my story is more in anime/manga style than book style.

**Chiyo:** You are?

**InuYasha:** Wow. She's actually aware of something important for a change.

**Laura:** But that's the way I _like_ to write my stories! I love making everybody sweatdrop and have anger marks and stuff! It's fun!

**InuYasha:** Translation: She likes to do that stuff and mess with our heads.

**Chiyo:** I think it's fun, being able to do that.

**InuYasha:** Fun? You try fitting 30 anger marks on your head and then see if it's fun anymore.

**Laura:** (sweatdrop)

* * *

**InuYasha:** So, **chennaigirl**, you think we should give the humor a bit of a rest, hey? Finally, we have a sane person reviewing! Laura, please, take her advice!'

**Laura:** Well...**chennaigirl**, I know that humor can be distracting sometimes, but I have a confession...

**InuYasha:** You're gonna stop writing and let us go?

**Kagome:** You're gonna stop the humor?

**Chiyo:** You and Miroku are going out?

**IY Cast:** ......

**Miroku:** We are? Since when?

**Laura: **No we're not!! It's not any of those things! Gah...truth is, I can't live without my humor! It's what keeps me laughing and cheerful as I write, and it makes me want to keep going. But just because the humor's there, it doesn't mean you have to read it all the time!

**IY Cast:** It doesn't?

**Laura:** Of course not! I sometimes skip the humor at the start in other's fanfics if I can't be bothered reading it or if I want to read the next chapter faster (like if it left off at a cliffhanger last time). But thank you for reviewing and saying it's good for my first fanfic.

* * *

**Laura:** Okay, we're done with responses!

**Kagome:** Finally.

**Chiyo:** Can we please start now?

**Laura:** Yep! Okay, begin chapter four!

* * *

It had been 3 days since Chiyo had found herself stranded inside the show 'InuYasha.' She was currently sitting on one of the fences near a field in the village where Kaede was working. Kaede was harvesting some medicinal herbs, and Chiyo had been observing her and most of the other happenings in the village most of the morning.

The past few days Chiyo had spent exploring the world that she had only ever seen on a screen for real. After she'd convinced everyone that she didn't work for Naraku (and answering a thousand and one questions about 'her world' and 'TVs' and 'kom-pyu-tars'), Miroku had removed the sutras and let Chiyo free, provided she didn't leave the village or attempt to hurt anyone.

Chiyo sighed. That wasn't quite true. She hadn't convinced _everyone _that she was innocent – InuYasha still hated her with a burning passion. The only times Chiyo would ever see him was when they were eating dinner, or if he was glaring at her from on top of a roof or tree or something a good distance away from her. Chiyo didn't know what his exact reason for hating her was; whether it was because he thought she worked for Naraku, that Kagome and everyone was siding with her, or that she knew about Kikyou. It was most likely all of these reasons. Either way, InuYasha refused to go even near Chiyo and was constantly arguing with Kagome about whether Chiyo had to stay or not (this argument usually ended up with Kagome yelling 'Sit boy!').

Chiyo was particularly upset with this. To her, InuYasha was by far the coolest character in the history of characters ever to walk into anime. She had InuYasha plushies, InuYasha keychains, InuYasha posters, InuYasha manga, InuYasha DVD's, and even an InuYasha hat, complete with little dog ears on it!

And yet, the one chance in a thousand million trillion other chances of Chiyo meeting him, she ends up convincing him that she's evil. That was all wrong! Chiyo hadn't hurt anything in her life – well, except when she was wrestling her friend Ookami for the last piece of licorice (where Ookami would always win because she was so strong, compared to Chiyo, who had noodle arms). But Chiyo didn't want to hurt anyone _here_, least of all InuYasha and his friends. Of course, InuYasha had to be his usual stubborn self and insist that _he_ was right and that everyone else had to follow _him_.

Chiyo really liked InuYasha, but sometimes he was just a pain in the butt.

She jumped off the fence and, seeing a small stone on the ground, kicked it pretty hard. What happened next nobody was prepared for.

The stone went flying across the field, nearly whacking Kaede in the head on the way (luckily Kaede is so stout), zoomed past 7 huts and 18 stunned villagers, then finally ended its flight by smacking into a tree, burying itself in the bark with an audible crunch. Chiyo gasped, and her hands flew to her mouth. But it wasn't over yet. The tree groaned, and there were several snaps and cracking sounds, then the tree toppled over and crashed onto the ground.

Kaede blinked, and slowly turned round to observe the damage. Chiyo was still standing, star-stricken, with her hands over her mouth in shock. Kaede stood in the field, staring at the tree, while several men from the village started gathering around it and shouting orders. She then turned back to Chiyo and stared at her.

"Oh............my............god............!!" Chiyo exclaimed softly, her hands dropping a little.

"............oh my god!!" She started hopping from one foot to the other, a look of petrifaction on her face. "Oh my god Kaede I'm so sorry I'll fix it I really will fix it you don't have to worry about it I'm so sorry I didn't know I was going to do that OH MY GOOOOOOOOD!!" Chiyo wailed at a hundred miles an hour.

"Calm ye self!" Kaede called over to her. "Ye needn't worry about this. In fact, let me thank ye for knocking over that old oak."

"Huh...huhwah?!" Chiyo asked, breathless from her never-ending sentence before. "Old priestess in the field say wah?"

"_Thank ye for knocking down that tree,_" Kaede repeated slowly. "It needed to come down anyway to make room for a new hut." Saying this, she smiled at Chiyo.

"Oh......o-okay...." Chiyo said, slightly dazed. She sat back down on the fence again. How had a single kick from her completely demolished an entire tree?! It hadn't even been a big stone, it had only been about the size of a gumball!

It was then that Chiyo remembered that she wasn't _human_ anymore, she was _half-demon_. Of course her strength would've increased! She was strong enough to **lift **an entire tree, naturally she could knock one over. And if she had become stronger......wouldn't that mean that she had become faster too? And her senses; no wonder she had heard that beetle's footsteps, and sneezed at the oil Miroku had put on her. Chiyo couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before. "Amazing," she said to herself.

"What's amazing?" a voice next to her said, and Chiyo jumped and fell off the fence in fright. "Oh, Shippo! It's only you," she said when she realized it was only the little fox demon beside her. "You scared me!"

Shippo giggled. "Little me scared a half-demon like you? That's a first,"

"Is it?" Chiyo said half-heartedly. Just like her to make something even as cool as a half-demon look bad. '_There goes Tangles,_' Ookami would say, and they would both laugh. Now, thinking of Ookami did nothing but make Chiyo upset. Had she found out that she was missing yet? Was her family worried? Chiyo missed them terribly. What would happen if she couldn't find a way back home?

Shippo must've noticed her sudden drop in mood, and he said, "Don't worry, Chiyo. We'll find a way to get you back to your own world. Kagome found a way back, so I'm sure you will too!"

Chiyo nodded, but her worry still didn't cease. Shippo, determined to cheer her up, kept going. "And we'll sort out InuYasha too! He's got no right to treat you like a servant of Naraku. I'm sure we'll turn him round, somehow."

Chiyo looked up at Shippo. "You think so?" she asked hopefully.

Shippo nodded, grinning. "You bet! We just need Kagome to talk to him and get things straightened out. You'll see!"

"Talk to him, hey?" Chiyo repeated, thinking. "That gives me an idea."

* * *

"Where is he, dang it!" Chiyo yelled at no-one but the forest creatures.

She'd been running through the forest for nearly an hour now. When Kaede had said 'InuYasha is most likely up a tree near the Bone Eater's Well," she thought it would've been a piece of cake to find him. Every time someone in the series wanted to get there, it would conveniently be right in front of them. But Chiyo, she couldn't find it anywhere! She just seemed to keep running around and around and around in circles.

"Arrrgh! For crying out loud, where is that bloody InuYa-"

Suddenly Chiyo heard something move. It was a tiny sound, just the quietest rustle, the most subtle movement. But Chiyo, straining her now extremely sensitive ears for even the slightest sound, heard it like it was coming through a megaphone. She skidded to a stop and froze, listening. She had been nearly certain that the sound had been the sound of moving clothing – like someone nearby had just moved. '_Maybe,_' Chiyo thought, '_it was InuYasha...?_'

Chiyo suddenly realized that the position she had frozen in was an odd one indeed. Her knees were bent, and her ears had perked straight up. Her arms were up in a defensive, and her claws (yes, her _claws_) were out. Chiyo noticed that she'd seen InuYasha in this position several times before, usually when he was fighting or protecting Kagome. '_It must be a half-demon thing,_' she thought. Chiyo relaxed and stood up properly, then listened again for the sound.

...

.....

........

............

And there it was!

Chiyo swiveled around and faced the direction the sound had come from and walked forward that way. As she proceeded further, she heard more sounds; she could hear the faint rush of air of a person breathing, and the creaking of a tree branch as someone shifted their weight underneath it. Chiyo pushed a particularly bushy shrub out of the way and the clearing she'd been looking for, the clearing with the Bone Eater's Well, came into view. Chiyo stopped, staring at the well. She couldn't believe;

a) She'd actually managed to find the well

b) She was actually staring at the well for real. In the same clearing. It was right there. For real.

Chiyo slowly walked forward, staring at the well in awe. "Wow," she whispered to herself. She reached the edge and knelt down. Chiyo gingerly stretched out her hand, pausing an inch from the side. She bit her lip, and the pushed her hand forward and touched the well. Her fingers stroked the wood, feeling over the smooth sides and running over the worn edges. Chiyo looked around the well and realized that she was kneeling in the same spot that InuYasha had hugged Kagome in episode 19. The symbolism of the well suddenly overwhelmed her, and tears stung at her eyes. '_God, you're so over-emotional, Chiyo,_' she thought, wiping away the tears before they could run down her face. She stood up and brushed herself off, looking into the well. "So this is what Kagome travels through to get to her world and back," she said quietly.

Suddenly, an idea sparked in Chiyo's mind. She stared into the depths of the well, th portal into another world. '_You're crazy, Chiyo,_' she thought. '_Only InuYasha and Kagome can do that! It would be impossible for you!_'

'_But what if it's not?_' another part of Chiyo argued. '_It's possible you could. Technically, 'you and Kagome are from the same era, so you could do it._'

'_Technically, you're crazy!_'

'_It's possible._'

'_Is not!_'

'_Is too._'

'_Is not!_'

'_Is too._'

'_IS NOT!_'

'_Is too times infinity._'

'_Okay, now you're just being ridiculous!_'

Chiyo shook her head, trying to clear out the crazy little voices in her mind. She stared into the well again, battling with herself.

"...nothing is impossible." she whispered to herself. Slowly she bent down and placed her hands on the side of the well. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding, and bent her knees. Her body tensed as she readied herself to jump.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Chiyo jumped out of her skin and squealed in fright and, as she swiveled around to see who was there, tripped over the edge of the well and fell in backwards. Quickly Chiyo grabbed onto and hooked her feet over the sides of it before she fell any further, so she ended up sagging in a star shape over the opening of the well. Chiyo cried out as her limbs were stretched painfully as she tried to support her weight.

"Man, you're even stupider than I thought," the voice said again. Chiyo blinked as she realized who it was. She looked up and her hunch was proven correct. "InuYasha?" she gasped, out of breath. He didn't respond; instead he just stared at her blankly. "Oh, InuYasha, finally!" Chiyo exclaimed. "Do you know how long I've been looking for you?"

"Actually, yes," he replied. "You suck at being quiet.. I heard you the second you walked into the forest. I think I could've heard you loud and clear if I had been on the moon."

"Huh?!" Chiyo cried out disbelievingly. "Why didn't you call or something? I was searching for ages!"

InuYasha didn't reply.

"Gah," Chiyo exclaimed, as she felt her fingers slip. She was going to lose her grip and fall if she didn't find some way out of the well soon. "Hey," she called up to InuYasha, "could you please help me outta here?"

InuYasha raised his eyebrows. "And I should help you because...?"

Chiyo blinked, then gawked at him. "Because if you don't, I'm gonna fall and break my neck!" she shouted.

The corner of InuYasha's mouth twitched; it looked like he was trying to stop himself from smiling. "You'll live," he said bluntly, and then he disappeared from Chiyo's sight.

Chiyo was still for a split second. Then; "Waaaaaaaaah?!" she wailed. "InuYasha! You...you can't just...just _leave_ me like this! I'm dead serious, I'm stuck! Help!!"

"You'll manage," she heard InuYasha call.

"InuYasha!!" Chiyo cried, but it was no use. She'd just have to figure out a way up and out by herself. Well, if she had the strength of a half-demon, getting out of here should be a cinch, right? She dug her claws into the wood as hard as she could manage, and her muscles tensed as she braced herself. She gritted her teeth together, then heaved herself up with all her might. Her body rose over the top of the well, and Chiyo grabbed one edge with both hands. She then hauled herself up and flipped over the wood, landing face-first in the grass. Chiyo lay there, sprawled out on the ground, for a couple of seconds, expecting herself to be exhausted from pulling herself out. But she felt fine. The usual strained soreness of her muscles wasn't there, and her breathing was steady. Slowly Chiyo sat, then stood up. She didn't sway or falter; she was perfectly balanced, and not single part of her body was fatigued. Chiyo blinked, then her mouth curved up into a small smile. "Wow," she breathed in awe. "I knew half-demons were strong, but this much stamina is...incredible!"

"Y'know talking to yourself is the first sign of madness."

Chiyo jumped, then turned around to find InuYasha sitting on a high tree branch and staring at her. She frowned. "I...I thought you left...?!"

InuYasha raised his eyebrows, then turned around and leant back so he was lying across the branch with his arms crossed behind his head. Chiyo stood there dumbly for a few seconds, but InuYasha didn't say anything. It was then she remembered the reason she'd come into the forest in the first place.

"Umm...InuYasha?" Chiyo began nervously. "I...I know that you..._really, really, __really_don't like me..."

InuYasha snorted. "More like absolutely despise you with a burning passion." he stated coldly. Chiyo sweatdropped. "Uh, okay...let's go with that, then." She gulped. "So, I know you..._despise_ me, but...I think you were, y'know, maybe too quick too judge me."

Chiyo paused, wondering if InuYasha would shoot a comeback at her or something. But he said nothing. Cautiously, she went on. "So, do you want to maybe...come down here, and we could sorta get our...'opinions' across and to some sort of agreement?"

Still, InuYasha said nothing. He didn't even blink. Chiyo's mind wandered back to the second episode of 'InuYasha,' where Kagome had tried (and failed) to be friendly to InuYasha. It had taken ages after that for InuYasha to actually get to like Kagome, then ages more to fall in love with her.

Chiyo grimly thought that she wasn't going to be any luckier.

"Look," Chiyo continued. "You think I work for Naraku, right? I don't. Listen to me: _I don't_. All I want is to get back home and-"

"You don't get it, do you?" InuYasha abruptly interrupted. Chiyo stopped, and blinked at him. He was now glaring at her from the tree branch, and Chiyo felt ice run down her spine. "You think you can convince me with your soppy 'I'm lost and confused' story." he carried on. "Everyone else may have fallen for it, but I'm not going to. So if I were you, I would go back to your dear master Naraku right now before you end up dead. If you even slip up _once_, I won't hesitate to slice you in half. Get away now before that happens. The only reason you're not dead already is because it'll upset Kagome."

Chiyo didn't know what it was; it may have been the way InuYasha had been glaring at her, or possibly the statement that he wanted to kill her. It might have even been the cold harshness of his voice. But whatever it was, something made Chiyo suddenly snap inside, and a rush of anger raced through her. Her fist clenched, and her teeth grinded together. Who was he to tell her that she had no right to stay here? What made him think he had the right to threaten her, when she had done nothing wrong? Chiyo saw red, and she snarled at InuYasha.

"How can you say something like that?!" Chiyo yelled at him. InuYasha blinked and started, caught off guard by her sudden outburst. "You have no idea what I'm going through! Trying to get used to all of this, trying to find a way home, and trying to get everyone to understand that I mean them no harm! But you, oh no, _you_ have to hate me, just because I'm new and different! It's exactly the same way you treated Kagome when Kikyou died-"

Chiyo stopped, suddenly realizing the stupidity of what she had just said, but it was too late. InuYasha had already flung himself out of the tree and landed right in front of her. Chiyo squealed and tried to jump back, but InuYasha grabbed onto her arm with a grip hard enough to crush steel. She saw his arm pull back and his fist clench, and when she caught a glimpse of his face, she nearly wet her pants. His lips were curled back to show his teeth bared. His yellow eyes burned with rage, and he snarled at her. Chiyo had never seen anyone so angry in her whole life. "You're DEAD!!" InuYasha spat at her, and his fist flew towards her face. Chiyo squeezed her eyes shut and cursed herself for speaking before thinking, as she waited for his hand to collide with her face.

Just then, a scream echoed through the forest.

Chiyo didn't feel the fist punch her face in as she thought it would have. Her eyes cracked open a fraction, and she saw InuYasha's hand frozen, mere centimeters from her face. And InuYasha wasn't glaring at her anymore. Instead, his head had turned to the side, and he was staring through the trees, his body rigid and his expression fear-stricken. A split-second later, he had released Chiyo from his vice grip and was running through the forest faster than she had ever seen him run before. As he disappeared through the maze of leaves and branches, Chiyo heard him yell one word;

"Kagome!!"

Chiyo stood stock still for a second, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what just happened. InuYasha had nearly punched her. Someone had screamed. InuYasha forgot about beating her to death and had ran back in the direction of the village. And he had been calling Kagome's name frantically. Chiyo came to the conclusion that all of these events could only mean that something really, _really_ bad was happening.

And Chiyo was off, racing after InuYasha as fast as her legs would carry her (which, considering Chiyo was a half-demon and all, was pretty fast). The trees zipped past her and her deep red sleeves and incredibly long hair whipped in the rush of her created from her running so swiftly. '_What could be happening?_' Chiyo thought frantically. '_InuYasha sounded really worried! Is something attacking the village? Could it be a demon? What if everyone else is in danger? Gah! I have to get back there before-_'

Suddenly, Chiyo's nose picked up a scent; a very strong, sickly scent, like rotting flesh. She gasped at the impact it had on her throat, which was burning from the strength of the smell. But the scent was unnaturally familiar to Chiyo; like she had been smelling it the whole time she'd been here, only nowhere near as strong...

'_Oh no,_' Chiyo thought, a sense of foreboding welling up inside her, '_oh no, oh please God, no...!_'

All of a sudden, Chiyo reached the edge of the forest, and she was temporarily blinded by the sudden brightness. Blinking as she began to adjust to the light, she heard screams, shouts and loud crashing noises to her right.

Chiyo turned and, as her eyes eventually came into focus, and overwhelming sense of dread coursed through her veins.

Nearly half the village had been completely demolished and bits of timber and rubble lay everywhere. Chiyo could see Sango, in her battle outfit and with her Hiraikotsu, alongside Miroku and a saber-toothed Kirara. They were fighting off hundreds of demons that were swarming and attacking the village. In all the chaos Chiyo could also see InuYasha, helping up an injured Kagome. But it was what was _above_ all the fighting and destruction that made Chiyo's blood run cold. There, floating in a shield with his sick, twisted, evil smile and his brand new body, was Naraku.

* * *

_If I had been there, Naraku wouldn't have gotten away so easily. I swear if I had the chance, the bastard would wish he'd never hurt anyone in his life._

Chiyo would have never thought in a million, trillion, ZILLION years that she would actually get that chance!

The village was being attacked viciously by Naraku's demons and, try as they might, InuYasha and everyone else weren't doing a very good job at fending them off. No matter how many demons they cut down, they kept coming in massive numbers. And, right in the midst of it all, was Naraku himself. He was floating above the battle below, surrounded by a pink shield and with an evil smirk on his lips. Chiyo stood only metres away from the village, frozen in fear. Her whole body shook and she felt like she was going to collapse. All her anger and hate for Naraku drained out of her, and all she could feel was the sick sensation of butterflies on crack going haywire in her stomach. This was one situation that Chiyo had prayed the whole time she'd been here that she wouldn't find herself in. Obviously, God hadn't heard her prayers.

"You bitch!!" someone screamed, making Chiyo jump violently out of her frozen state. She saw InuYasha glaring at her furiously (although Chiyo had no idea how he managed to do that while fighting demons at the same time). "You led him here!!" he continued yelling at her. "I knew it! I knew we couldn't trust you!!"

Chiyo sank to her knees, staring at the scene in front of her. She wasn't bad, and she hadn't called for Naraku to come or been working for him. But her having the same scent as Naraku and now him being here couldn't just be a coincidence. Maybe, unconsciously, she had led him here. Did that make her untrustworthy, deceptive, evil...? Tears stung at Chiyo's eyes, and she felt sick.

"What's this, InuYasha?" a new, but dreadingly familiar voice said. Naraku had turned to InuYasha and was watching him smugly. "Somebody led me here, you say?" He chuckled wickedly to himself (ku ku ku ku ku...). InuYasha growled at him through his teeth, and drew his massive sword out of its sheath.

"Well," Naraku continued, "sorry to disappoint you, InuYasha, but I'm here on my own accord, not because someone led me here."

A look of confusion passed over InuYasha's face, and relief washed through Chiyo. '_it wasn't me, it's not my fault, it wasn't me!_'

"What are you saying, Naraku?" InuYasha growled at him. He pointed over to Chiyo. "Don't tell me you've never seen this girl before!"

Naraku turned his head towards Chiyo, and she went rigid as her eyes locked with his. What happened next was the last thing Chiyo (or anyone else watching) ever expected.

Emotions flitted across Naraku's face as fast as someone banging a drum. Recognition, shock, fear, awe, anxiety, confusion, and finally, rage. Naraku looked furious. "You!!" he half yelled, half snarled.

"Me?!" Chiyo half squeaked, half squealed.

Naraku turned his whole body towards her now, and his attention seemed to be on her and her alone. Unfortunately for Chiyo, Naraku's demons all turned and focused on her as' well. InuYasha, Kagome and all the others looked round at her as well. Chiyo dearly wished that she could just disappear into thin air at that moment.

"Give it to me!!" Naraku shouted at her.

"Give...give you what?" Chiyo said meekly, looking aghast. Naraku pointed a finger at her, and his demon servants snarled and spat at her. "Bring her to me!" he commanded them. "She won't escape again!!"

With that, all Naraku's demons raced at Chiyo. She screamed and turned to run, but the demons swarmed behind her as well, blocking her escape route. She stood, surrounded by demons and rooted to the spot, all but one thought running through her head; '_I'm going to die_ _I'm going to die I'm going to die_ _I'm going to die_ _I'm going to die..._ '

The demons flew towards her, and Chiyo buried her face in her hands in a useless attempt to hide herself from the doom set upon her.

But before that doom could launch itself upon Chiyo, a loud, powerful and slightly annoyed voice yelled out;

"Wind Scar!!"

Chiyo's head shot up out of her hands to see a blinding flash of golden light, which raced towards Naraku's demons at a breakneck speed. The demons gave an earsplitting roar as they perished in the blinding attack. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the light vanished, and all that was left of the demons was a smoking black pile of cinders. Before Chiyo could blink, InuYasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Kirara had surrounded her, all of them facing outwards in a circle.

"Wha...what are you doing, you guys?!" Chiyo exclaimed.

"What does it look like?" Miroku yelled back over the loud growling of the remaining demons. One of them raced towards the circle, and Miroku smashed its skull with his staff, killing it instantly. "We're protecting you!"

Chiyo suddenly saw the effectiveness of the circle; how she was protected inside by the demons from the other's weapons on the outside. But there was one thing she didn't understand.

"Why are you guys helping me?" she yelled. "Especially you!" she added, seeing InuYasha. "I thought you hated me!"

"To tell you the truth, I still do!" he shouted back angrily, slicing another demon in half. "But," he continued, looking over his shoulder at her, "that bastard Naraku wants you dead, so I guess you can't be all bad."

Chiyo blinked, then couldn't help herself as a grin spread across her face.

Suddenly, at some unseen order, all Naraku's demons came at the group, forcing them all to separate. "But don't get your hopes up!" InuYasha yelled as he jumped out of the way. "It'll still take a lot to get me to trust you!"

Chiyo dodged an attack from one of the demons, filed with new hope at InuYasha's...'change of heart.' "Well," she called back, jumping over another demon, "it's way better than you hating me!"

Chiyo couldn't see very well through the swarm of monsters surrounding them, but she thought she snatched a glance of InuYasha smiling; just a little smirk, that lasted only for a second, but a smile nonetheless.

Chiyo swung round as a demon swiped at her from behind, and she ducked rapidly. Swiftly she flung her legs around, kicking the beast in the shins and sending it tumbling to the ground in pain. Then, seeing another demon approaching her, she scrambled to her feet and ran towards the remains of a village hut. She ducked behind a large piece of debris and sat down, breathing in gasps. On the TV screen, fighting demons looked so easy! She peered out from behind her hiding spot, watching the battle. Neither side seemed to be winning. InuYasha and everyone else were cutting down any demon in sight with ease, but the demons were a seething mass that never seemed to dwindle in their numbers, no matter how many or how fast they were killed. Chiyo didn't see how they would manage to stop Naraku if the demons kept coming at them like this.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud scream coming from her left. Chiyo's head swiveled round, and she saw Kagome on the ground, her bow knocked from her hands, and a demon coming at her, claws out and ready to tear her limb from limb.

"KAGOME!!" Chiyo heard InuYasha scream. She saw him out of the corner of her eye as he cut down three demons at once and began racing towards Kagome. But he was too far from her, and he wouldn't make it in time.

But Chiyo could.

Without thinking, Chiyo jumped from her hiding place, landing right in between Kagome and the demon. She let her instincts take over as she tensed her claws, the flung her arm down with all the strength she could muster and screamed,

"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!!"

...

......

............

But nothing happened.

Chiyo barely had time to gasp before the demon's claws swiped at her, sending her flying. She saw her own blood flying through the air, but she felt no pain as her senses already began to fade. She collided with one of the village's hut walls, and she heard several people call her name. Chiyo was unconscious before she hit the ground.

* * *

**Laura:** Finally!! It's finished! My fingers are sore...I've been typing from 9:30am till 3:30pm today!

**Chiyo:** Well, it was the longest chapter yet.

**InuYasha:** And the worst.

**Laura:** Wah?! Why?!

**InuYasha:** Naraku was in it!

**Naraku:** Ku ku ku ku ku...I finally came into the story.

**Chiyo:** (cowers in fear) Don't come near me!

**Laura:** Thanks for sticking around for so long, guys! I'll try not to let my future chapters take so long!

**InuYasha:** Try. And fail.

**Laura:** Cya in the next chapter!

**Chiyo:** Awaaaaaaaaay!!

**Naraku:** Ku ku ku ku...


	5. Chapter 5: The Watch

**InuYasha:** Laura, what the hell are you eating?

**Laura:** (munch munch)...Crystallized ginger!

**IY Cast:** Crystallized WHAT?!

**Laura: **Crystallized _ginger_! It's my new favourite snack!

**Kagome:** I've never heard of it. What's it like?

**Laura:** Here, try some! (hands some to everyone)

**Everyone:** (chew chew chew)...!!

**Laura:** What? What's wrong?

**Kagome:** Cough!/Hack!/Wheeze!

**Chiyo:** Bleugh! That's foul!

**InuYasha:** Waah! It's spicy! My tongue's on fire!

**Laura: **How can you not like it?! It's gingery and sweet and delicious!

**Shippo:** Obviously 'sweet and delicious' in your taste is quite different to 'sweet and delicious' in our taste.

**Laura:** Waah?! You're wrong! Crystallized ginger is delicious! FANS!! You must all try crystallized ginger and tell me what you think of it! Prove InuYasha and the others wrong!

**InuYasha:** Trust me guys, just stick to Ramen...(gag)

**Naraku:** For once, I agree with the half-breed here.

**InuYasha:** Half WHAT?!

**Laura:** Get lost, Naraku.

**Chiyo:** Naraku! Stay awaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!

**Laura:** Review responses are below, peoples!

* * *

**Laura:** **LadyChaos1011,** that's actually a really good idea! I could so imagine what Chiyo would think if InuYasha asked her about the Iron Reaver Soul Stealer attack when she woke up...

**Chiyo:** Gah! Laura, please don't embarrass me!

**Laura: **Well, luckily for you Chiyo, I couldn't find a way to weave it into this chapter...

**Chiyo:** Phew!

**Laura:** But it will come up in an upcoming chapter!!

**Chiyo: **Waah?! NO!! My dignity...(sob)

* * *

**Laura:** OMAHGOD **ZILO** I TOTALLY AGREE NARAKU IS EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!

**InuYasha:** What's with all the capitals?

**Shippo:** How should I know?

**Laura:** AND I'M SORRY IF I TRICKED YOU I WILL APOLOGIZE TO YOU I WILL APOLOGIZE TO THE WHOLE WORLD I AM SOOOOOOOO SORRRRRRRRRY!!

**Ri-chan (from Fruits Basket):** Hey, that's my line!

**Laura: **OH NO IS IT? I'M SORRY I WILL APOLOGIZE TO THE WHOLE WORLD I WILL APO-

**Everyone:** SHUT UP!!

* * *

**Laura:** Thank you, **cornycarrot**! Kyaa, I'm glad you think I write beautifully!

**InuYasha:** Laura is also sorry for the late update, she lost the draft to this chapter.

**Laura:** What? No I didn't! How on earth could I do that, the draft didn't even exist until today! How could I lose something that doesn't even exist?

**InuYasha:** With your luck, you'd find a way.

**Laura:** (shakes head) Anyway, I never forget about updating my fanfiction, EVER! It's just that I can never find the time. Today I'm at home for the WHOLE DAY by myself, so I've had the time to finish the draft and type it up! I'll try not to let the update be too long again, so don't worry!

**Kagome:** You said that last time, and still the update was exceedingly long.

**Laura:** ...gah! Quiet, you pessimistic person!

* * *

**Laura: **Okay, peoples, enjoy chapter 5! Oh, and if you want to set the mood for the first half of this chapter, I was listening to the song 'Whispers in the Dark' by Skillet for ages while I was writing it. And 'Comatose' (by the same band). Huzzah!

* * *

"KAGOME!!" Chiyo heard InuYasha scream. She saw him out of the corner of her eye as he cut down three demons at once and began racing towards Kagome. But he was too far from her, and he wouldn't make it in time.

Chiyo jumped out from her hiding spot and raced towards Kagome as fast as she could, all the while the demon closing in on her. Suddenly, Chiyo tripped and fell on a piece of rubble, and she found herself on the ground with a loud crash. She looked up to see the demon come down on Kagome, its claws digging into her flesh. Kagome screamed with pain and toppled over onto the ground, as Chiyo devastatingly realized that it was too late...

Chiyo was awoken from her nightmare with a jolt, and she realized that she was sweating from head to toe and hyperventilating with fear. Her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults that gave her the sickening urge to throw up. '_It's just a dream,_' Chiyo reassured herself. '_Just a dream, didn't really happen, imaginary. You saved Kagome, remember? Right before...before..._'

It was then Chiyo suddenly remembered what had happened the last time she was conscious. She then noticed that she wasn't at the village anymore; in fact, she had no idea where she was because she couldn't see anything. Something was over her head, like a blindfold, restricting her from her sight. She felt like her arms were being stretched over her head, and she guessed they had been tied up above her so she was hanging. Her nose picked up the strong scents of dirt and dust and rotting wood, and the air felt cold and wet. Chiyo had a hunch to where she might be, and the urge to throw up became stronger. '_Relax, Chiyo,_' she desperately told herself. '_Just chill, okay?! If you are where you think you are, then you've gotta stay quiet, or else-_'

"So, you're awake, are you?" a woman's voice said.

Chiyo felt a chill run down her spine. Her hunch had been right about where she was and, if she remembered correctly, she knew who that voice belonged to...

Abruptly, the blindfold was torn off Chiyo's head. Surprisingly she still couldn't see anything because wherever she was it was very dark. As her vision slowly came into focus, she could make out the dim shadows of two figures; one tall and stern, the other smaller and child-like. Eventually Chiyo saw spots of colour, and the figures became clearer. The taller one was a woman wearing a red and white kimono, and her black hair was tied up in a high ponytail. The child beside her was a young girl, dressed in a white gown with white hair dressed with white roses to match. Both of them were holding things – the girl a round mirror and the woman, a large fan.

Fear filled Chiyo as she realized who these two were. "Kagura, Kana!" she squeaked, her voice rising an octave above its usual pitch.

Kagura raised her eyebrows. "So, what he said was true," she said, eying Chiyo. "I suppose that's a good thing, in a way," she sighed. "It saves all the introductions and explaining we usually have to do." Her red eyes met Chiyo's, and Chiyo dearly wished she had the blindfold on again. Thankfully, Kagura soon looked away, seemingly uninterested in her. Chiyo glanced at Kana, but to no surprise she was blankly staring at the wall behind her, clutching her mirror and completely zoned out. Her unblinking gaze unnerved Chiyo, and she looked back at Kagura.

"Wh-where's InuYa-Yasha?" she stammered, trying to sound brave, but failing miserably. Kagura eyed her in a bored way. "He's not here, if that's what you're thinking," she said bluntly. "You're the only one who was stupid enough to get yourself captured."

"Hey, d-don't call me st-stupid!" Chiyo said. Chiyo had always felt sorry for Kagura, seeing as she was enslaved to Naraku after all, but she had never really liked her all that much.

Kagura gave a low laugh. "A bit of a rebel, are we?" she commented. With one swift flick of her wrist, she opened her fan. Chiyo breathed in sharply, fearing the worst, but quickly exhaled as she saw that Kagura was only fanning herself. Chiyo gulped, then drew up the courage to keep talking. It was probably the only way she could stall Kagura long enough until she found some way of escaping.

"So...where's Naraku?" she asked, sounding slightly braver (but still terrified).

Kagura huffed in an annoyed kind of way. "You think he'd tell me where he went? He just gave me orders to watch you and make sure you didn't escape."

Chiyo waited, wondering if she'd say anything else, but she was silent. Chiyo cleared her throat, wanting to ask a question, but afraid of what the answer might be.

'_No,_' she told herself firmly. '_You're not chickening out of this one. You have to be tough if you're gonna have any chance of surviving this._'

"Kagura..."

Kagura looked up at Chiyo and raised her eyebrows. Her red eyes locked with Chiyo's again and she longed to look away, but she resisted the urge and pressed on.

"What, exactly...does Naraku _want_ with me?"

Kagura blinked, then she smirked at Chiyo. "Well _apparently_," she replied smugly, "he wants something from you. Something you took off him. And boy, does he seem _seriously_ mad."

Fear welled up inside Chiyo, but she took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "...and what exactly was it that I took from him?" she asked nervously.

Kagura snorted. "How should I know?" she said, shrugging. "You should know, you're the one who stole it."

"But I didn't steal anything!!" Chiyo yelled.

Kagura frowned, and raised her fan, causing Chiyo to shrink back in fear (well, shrink back as much as she could while having her arms tied up and hanging). Kagura smiled. "Now, now," she said quietly, "don't go getting reckless. You've been _so_ well behaved, and we wouldn't want Naraku to come back and find you're missing a limb or two now, would we?"

Chiyo shivered, then obediently hung her head and stayed silent. Kagura slowly lowered her fan, and she turned around. There was a moment's silence. Chiyo suddenly thought of something, and she snickered under her breath.

"What?" Kagura said, sounding annoyed. She didn't bother to turn around. Chiyo raised her head, grinning.

"Oh, nothing, I was just wondering if you've confessed your little crush to Sesshomaru yet."

Kagura instantly spun around, her usually pale face flushed with embarrassment and anger. "Why you little...!!" she growled, opening her fan and storming towards Chiyo.

"He's coming."

Kagura abruptly stopped her advance, and Chiyo turned her head towards the new voice. It was Kana who had spoken. She had altered her gaze so that she was now staring at Kagura, although she seemed to be speaking to both her and Chiyo.

"He's coming," she said again. "He's very close, he will be here any moment."

Kagura straightened up and became tenser, less relaxed. Chiyo stared at Kana, a sense of dread welling up inside her. "Who's coming?" she whispered, terrified that she already knew the answer. Kana looked up at her for the first time and said,

"Naraku."

Before Chiyo had any time to react, she heard a loud bang of a door slamming open, and she saw a figure engulfed in the darkness behind Kagura and Kana appear. Kagura turned so her back was to Chiyo again, and she inclined her head ever so slightly towards the figure in the darkness, as a way of bowing.

"Kagura, I presume you've kept our guest secure?" a voice crept out of the dark.

"Of course I have," Kagura shot back. "You think this weakling would actually escape? Puh-leez." She rolled her eyes as she said this.

"Good," the figure said again. "Now leave. Both of you."

Kagura blinked, the opened her mouth as if to answer back. But she thought better of herself and bowed her head slightly again. "As you wish," she said, not an ounce of respect in her voice. She stalked off and out of Chiyo's sight, followed closely by Kana, until their footsteps faded away. When he was sure they were gone, the figure stepped out of the darkness. Naraku.

* * *

Chiyo felt sick. Dizzy. Terrified. Fear stricken. Petrified. No words could ever describe even the beginning of her fear. So all she did was stare dumbly at the evil being in front of her, shaking like a leaf. Naraku advanced towards her slowly, with each step revealing more and more of himself out of the gloom. His expression was oddly blank; instead of his usual evil smirk and malicious eyes, his mouth was a thin line and it looked like he was trying to mask over his emotion and appear uncaring. But his eyes gave him away – they burned with hidden rage, and Chiyo had a feeling that he desperately wanted her dead as soon as he got back what she had 'stolen.'

"Y-y-y-...yo-you...yo-yo-you ba-ba...you ba-baa..." Chiyo was trying to say 'You bastard,' but her fear was getting the better of her and it sounded more like she was saying yo-yo. Or trying to imitate a sheep. Naraku kept coming closer and closer, until there was less than an inch of space between their faces. Chiyo was hyperventilating and sweating like a pig. Her mind was flustered and she lost the ability to think straight. Her first instinct was to run away from the danger in front of her, but with her limbs tied up, she wasn't going anywhere. Her second instinct was to smack Naraku right in the face, but she resisted the urge to do that. So she followed her third instinct; to hide. She squeezed her eyes shut, turning her head to the side and away from Naraku, and tried to will the danger away.

Of course, instincts usually don't count for much in reality, and Chiyo's attempt to 'hide' was pathetic and in no way helpful to her. Naraku 'tched' and grabbed her roughly, and Chiyo gasped as he pulled her head forward and her neck was stretched. Her eyes snapped open, and when she saw Naraku in front of her, his eyes fierce and expression full of rage, her half-demon instincts took over. A short, sharp growl escaped her mouth, and her lips curled back, revealing her fangs. Naraku's expression turned from one of rage to one of amusement, and his evil smirk returned. "Being difficult like that will just get you into more trouble, you know," he said to her slyly. His smile, though, quickly disappeared, and his expression became serious again. "Now listen to me," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "Whether you remember it or not, we've met before. And during that meeting, something that was supposed to become part of me ended up _inside you_." Naraku' eyes narrowed. "And I want that thing back. So if you want to have any chance of getting out of here _alive_, I would do exa-"

Chiyo suddenly yanked her head out of Naraku's grasp, and she turned her head and opened her jaw. Within a split second she had lunged downwards and clamped down onto Naraku's hand. Her fangs dug into his flesh, and Chiyo saw red spurts of blood flash in front of her eyes.

Naraku cried out and tore his hand out of her mouth, and Chiyo saw more blood as her fangs scraped across his knuckles and fingers. He stared at his mangled hand, an expression of pain and disbelief on his face. Chiyo stared at it too, feeling half satisfied, half petrified at what she had just done.

'_WHAT THE **HELL **WERE YOU THINKING?!_' she screamed internally. '_You bloody idiot!! You're dead for sure now!!_'

'_I don't care,_' the other half of her thought. '_He deserved that. That bastard needs to be taught a lesson._'

'_But your priority right now isn't to teach him a lesson, it's to get the hell outta here **alive**!_'

Naraku finally looked up at Chiyo again, and his shocked expression turned to one of absolute rage. Absurdly, Chiyo didn't shrink or cower back in fear again; instead, she just growled right back at him. She assumed she looked like some sort of rabid vampire or something, with blood running down from her mouth and everything. It was like her whole half-demon mind had taken control of her actions. Suddenly Chiyo wondered if she'd perhaps become _full-demon_ somehow, but she quickly abandoned that idea; she wasn't in any danger of dying from any injuries that she was aware of right now. And besides, you weren't supposed to know or remember what you did when you were full-demon, right? And Chiyo was 100% certain that she knew what she was doing. She just, y'know, couldn't actually _help_ it.

Naraku abruptly thrust out and pointed his uninjured arm towards Chiyo, and one of his grey...'thingys' (you know those big, grey, wrinkly things that come out of his armor he used to kill Kikyo with? Yeah, those things) flew out through the air and extended from his body. It struck Chiyo in her left shoulder, and it dug deep into her flesh. She screamed with pain, and blood gushed out from the wound. Her eyes squeezed shut and her breath became shallow. When her eyes finally opened again, Naraku was up close to her face once more.

"You're lucky," he said, glaring at her, "that I've let you live this long." He twisted his grey, wrinkled spike deeper into her flesh, and Chiyo screamed again. "But now," he continued, speaking threateningly low, "I'm going to take back what is rightfully mine, and then dispose of you. _Painfully_ and _slowly _dispose of you."

Chiyo had never heard more haunting words spoken to her in her life, and her head slumped down, defeated and broken. Slowly, Naraku raised his bloodied hand towards Chiyo's right arm. He paused, his arm poised over her wrist, seemingly hesitant. But he clenched his teeth together, and then grabbed onto her wrist.

Nothing happened at first. The world seemed to stop for a few seconds, pausing as it waited to see what might happen. Then, suddenly, a bright light appeared over the spot where Naraku's hand met Chiyo's wrist, and there was a brilliant flash of white light that blinded Chiyo.

Then the pain began.

Chiyo couldn't believe that she had actually thought Naraku stabbing her in the shoulder before had been something worth screaming about. The pain on her wrist now was so horrific that she couldn't comprehend it. It burned like hell; it was like somebody had thrown a hundred burning hot irons onto her bare skin. She thrashed her whole body, tried to claw Naraku's hand off of her. Nothing worked. She still couldn't see anything because the light was so bright. She kept thrashing, trying to kick out at Naraku, but her limbs were near useless since they were tied up so tightly. There was no thought, no will left in Chiyo, except her wanting to stop the pain. She gave another huge thrash, and she heard something snap. Suddenly she felt her left arm flop down to her side as the rope holding it up broke. Chiyo immediately swung this hand with all her might towards Naraku, and she clawed him across the face. She heard him exclaim in pain, and his hand released her wrist. The light vanished, and the pain on Chiyo's wrist dropped. She hung there, strung up with one arm, breathing in gasps and sweating. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Naraku on the ground, holding his grazed cheek. He looked back to her, and started to get up. When he got to his feet he began advancing towards her again, an enraged glint in his eye.

"NARAKU!!"

Before Naraku could take more than two steps towards Chiyo, there was a deafening crash, and dust and debris flew out of the darkness. Naraku spun around, and Chiyo heard him curse under his breath. Not a second later, he had put up his bright pink shield around his body and floated into the air. Chiyo gasped as she saw the familiar faces of InuYasha, Kagome and the others appear out of the darkness. InuYasha's eyes flickered over Chiyo briefly as he assessed the room, then they were drawn back to Naraku.

"You've got a lotta nerve, taking her like that right in front of us, Naraku," he growled at him. Chiyo heard Naraku give one of his evil chuckles. "And here he is, the worthless half-breed. He's come to save the defenseless one of his kind," he taunted. Chiyo saw that he was making a lot more of an effort to keep himself composed in front of InuYasha than he did with her.

InuYasha growled, then drew his Tetsuaiga. "You're finished!!" he yelled, raising the sword above his head.

"WIND SCAR!!"

Another bright light flashed, and there was a loud crash. Nearly everything disappeared in a cloud of dust and light, and Chiyo was blinded again. She could hear crashes and the odd shout or two, but other than that she was totally oblivious to what was going on. Suddenly a hand grabbed onto her shoulder, and she spun her head around. She quickly relaxed as she saw it was only Kagome.

"You guys came," Chiyo whispered, as Kagome began untying the rest of her limbs.

"Of course we did!" Kagome replied, looking at her and smiling. "Why would we leave you in the hands of Naraku?"

Chiyo weakly smiled back. "Thank you," she said. Kagome reached over to untie her right arm, and her hand touched Chiyo's wrist. A bright flash of pink light appeared in an instant, and both Kagome and Chiyo gasped. Then. as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished. The two girls blinked, then stared at each other.

"Quickly, Kagome!" a young voice called, and Shippo suddenly appeared on the teenager's shoulder. Kagome remembered what she was supposed to be doing, then she swiftly untied the rest of Chiyo's wrist. Chiyo dropped onto her feet heavily, and her knees gave way underneath her. Kagome put one of Chiyo's arms over her shoulders and supported her as she got up. The two girls and the child fox began walking around the fight between InuYasha, Miroku, Sango and Naraku as subtly as they could. They had nearly reached the way out when Naraku (unfortunately) spotted them. His composure instantly disappeared and his enraged expression returned.

"You will not escape again!!" he yelled, and his grey spike shot out of his armor again and raced towards Chiyo. Before she could move, it had wrapped itself around her right wrist and began pulling her back towards Naraku. Chiyo cried out, and Kagome grabbed onto her, pulling her away from him.

Suddenly, Naraku's grey spike began to glow bright pink, and Naraku yelled in surprise as it shattered into a million tiny pieces. He drew what was left of the spike back into him, shock and rage showing on his face. He quickly dodged InuYasha, who had come at him from the side with his sword, then he vanished.

Everything was quiet and still for a moment, then a voice echoed through the air,

"We will meet again...and next time, you won't be so lucky..."

InuYasha growled loudly. "Bastard Naraku...!!" he cursed, thrusting his sword back into its sheath.

Chiyo let out a sigh, thanking and praising to the heavens above that it was all over. But suddenly, pain from her shoulder injury and her wrist surged through her again, and she collapsed onto the floor. She heard voices calling her name, and saw shadowed figures surround her. She felt herself being carried, and the world was a blur around her. Next thing she knew, she was lying on the soft fur of Kirara's back, and her hair was whipping around her face as the wind blew past her. She felt so pained, and so tired. Sleeping seemed like a perfect idea, so she let her eyes droop closed and felt her body succumb to slumber.

* * *

When Chiyo awoke, she felt hot. Very, very hot. She realized this was because she was being smothered by about five thick, woolen blankets, plus she could feel that she was lying next to a fire. Her eyes flickered open slightly, and she saw she was lying down on the floor inside Kaede's hut. She looked to the left, and she saw the smoldering remains of a fire burning next to her. She looked to her right, and she stiffened as she realized that InuYasha was crouching beside her. He was looking down at the ground and hadn't noticed that she was awake yet. Chiyo scanned the room, but she couldn't see anyone else in the hut. She looked back at InuYasha, and she saw he had a troubled expression on his face. Chiyo had no idea what to say to get his attention. While she thought, she heard InuYasha mumbling to himself.

"How could I think that......such an idiot......she saved Kagome......probably hates me......dammit......"

Chiyo finally knew what to say.

"Y'know, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness."

InuYasha's head shot up, and he made a sound that was like a cross between 'gah!' and 'eeya!' as he jumped back. Chiyo gave a laugh, which led to her getting caught up in a harsh fit of coughing.

"How are you feeling?" InuYasha asked, after her cough had died down.

"Sore," she answered, moving a little under the blankets. "And very, vey hot. Would you mind taking off some of these rugs, please?"

InuYasha obliged, taking off all but one blanket for her. Chiyo could finally feel air again, and her sweating body began to cool down.

"Where's everyone else?" Chyo wondered out loud.

"They're all outside, helping Kaede and the villagers repair the huts. Kagome was here a minute ago, but she left just before you woke up."

Chiyo nodded. "But you're still here," she commented.

InuYasha frowned, then clenched his teeth together. He opened his mouth as if to shoot a retort back at her, but he eventually hung his head down again and mumbled "Yes."

Chiyo gave a small smile, then lay her head back and closed her eyes. "That's nice," she said simply.

"Whaddya mean, '_That's nice_'?!" InuYasha suddenly yelled, making Chiyo jump. Her eyes shot open again, and she saw InuYasha staring at her disbelievingly.

"How can just say that?!" he yelled again. "Aren't you mad? Upset? You nearly died because I was stupid enough to think you were on that bastard's side!!"

Chiyo blinked, then sighed. "So _that's _what you were mumbling about," she said. InuYasha grimaced. Chiyo sat up, wincing at the pain a little, and looked at him.

"Listen to me, InuYasha," she said softly. "I could _never_ hate you. Not even if you tried to kill me, I wouldn't."

InuYasha gawked at her. He was silent for some time, then he said, "You're crazy."

Chiyo laughed again, coughing a little. "Look," she continued, "I'm glad you realize now that I'm not evil, and I'm sorry about what I said before. You know, about..."

"Kikyo," InuYasha finished for her, frowning. Chiyo nervously wondered if he was going to start shouting again, but he was silent. "Anyway," she said, "I hope we can forget about what happened before and that we can get along better?"

InuYasha was quiet for a little, then he gave a small smirk. "Alright," he said, and Chiyo smiled. She sighed, then rubbed her forehead with her arm.

InuYasha cleared his throat and scratched his ear. "Anyway, Chiyo," he said, "there was something else I wanted to talk to you abo-"

He stopped when he realized that Chiyo had frozen, her right arm still on her forehead, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly ajar. "Chiyo?" he said, frowning. "Chiyo, what's wrong?"

Chiyo very slowly and carefully brought her arm down from her forehead and rested it on her lap. She raised her left hand and placed it on her right wrist. She felt what she had felt as she had rubbed her face; a very hard, solid lump underneath her sleeve. She grasped the edge of her sleeve with her hand, then pulled it back to reveal her wrist. Both her and InuYasha gasped at what they saw. "What the hell is that...?!" InuYasha exclaimed. Chiyo said nothing, even though she knew perfectly well what it was on her wrist. Although she couldn't bring herself to believe what she was looking at was real, she knew what it was. It was a digital watch.

* * *

Chiyo stared at the black watch on her hand, utterly dumbstruck. It wasn't even just a regular, tell-the-time digital watch; it looked high-tech and complicated, with countless buttons and flashing lights. There was some sort of timer on the screen; it was ticking off the seconds as she watched it. It currently read, '_81 hours: 22 min: 15 sec_'.

What the hell is that, Chiyo?!" InuYasha repeated. Chiyo didn't answer. She ran her fingers over the buttons, stopping and frowning at one that read 'RETURN.' She pressed it. A beeping sound came out of the watch, and both Chiyo and InuYasha jumped back slightly as a hologram suddenly appeared above the screen. A picture of a house rotated in the hologram, and Chiyo gasped as she recognized it to be her own home. InuYasha growled softly and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Chiyo stared at the hologram for a few moments, then closed it. InuYasha slowly released his grip on his hilt. "Chiyo, what _was _that?" he asked again, sounding as if he might pommel her if he didn't get an answer soon. Chiyo vaguely wondered if she could outrun InuYasha even with her injuries. She turned to look at him, then put on a frightened face and pointed behind him. "Look! It's Naraku!!" she yelled, and just as she had expected, InuYasha spun around and drew his sword quicker than you could blink. While his back was turned, Chiyo flung the blanket off of her and raced out the doorway, and before she knew it she was running out of the village and towards the forest.

Chiyo finally came to a stop when she was a good deal away from the village and was in a clearing deep in the forest. She had to act fast – she could already hear InuYasha running after her and the others calling out to her. She quickly pressed the 'RETURN' button on the digital watch again, and the hologram of her house lit up the dark, night clearing. She gulped, then pressed a button that said 'ACCEPT' on the watch. The hologram disappeared, and suddenly a portal began to open up in front of Chiyo. When it fully opened, she took a deep breath, then put one foot inside it.

"Chiyo!!"

Chiyo spun her head around and gasped as she saw InuYasha, pausing at the edge of the clearing and gaping at her and the portal in front of her. Chiyo gave him one last pained look, then she yelled, "Don't follow me!!"

Without looking back, she plunged into the portal and fell threw it.

"Chiyo!! Dammit!!" InuYasha yelled, and he started running towards the portal, but it had already begun to close up. He lunged for it, but it disappeared and he crashing down onto the ground.

Chiyo was gone.

* * *

**Laura:** I am SO glad that's over. My fingers have blisters!

**InuYasha:** Maybe you shouldn't be so lazy and finish these things EARLIER rather than leave them to the last minute like you do with everything else.

**Laura:** Quiet, fool! (smacks him on the head with a frying pan)

**Kagome:** Gah! InuYasha!

**Laura:** I hope to see you all in the next chapter, please! And feel very free to write reviews, peoples, I love to read them!

**InuYasha:** (rubbing his head) Where the hell did that frying pan come from?!

**Laura:** I said quiet, FOOL! (smacks him on the head with a flat-screen TV)

**Chiyo:** I think she's drunk on crystallized ginger!

**Laura:** You bet I am! And don't forget to try it, fans! Ku ku ku ku ku...

**Naraku:** Hey! Stop stealing other people's lines!!

**Laura:** (smacks him on the head with a bedpost) QUIET, ALL YOU FOOLS!! MWAHAHAHAHA!

**Chiyo:** Let's leave before we end up unconscious!

**Kagome:** I'm with ya, sister!!


	6. Chapter 6: The Return

**Laura: **Hello again!

**InuYasha:** Goodbye again. (turns to leave)

**Laura:** (grabs onto his ear) Oh no you don't!

**InuYasha: **Ow! Leggo of me!

**Kagome:** Hey Laura, you know you've got no reviews from your last chapter?

**Laura:** Waaaaaaaaah?! Whaddya mean, no reviews?

**Kagome:** Exactly that.

**Laura: **So no one reviewed at all?!

**Chiyo:** Nope.

**Laura:** Not even about the crystallized ginger?!

**Shippo:** They probably all tried it and died after eating it because it was so bad. I bet that's why they couldn't review.

**Laura:** Nooooooooooo!! That's not true!! Uwaaaaaaah...(wallows in self-pity)

**InuYasha:** Can we please just start the chapter already?

* * *

"For the fifteenth time Kagome, _that's what happened_!"

"But are you _sure_-"

"Yes!"

"You're _certain_-"

"Goddammit Kagome, **YES**!!"

"Alright, alright already! I was just making sure!"

"Okay guys, break it up," Sango warned, seeing an argument about to spring up between the two. InuYasha muttered something under his breath and shook his head. Kagome sighed and frowned, thinking. InuYasha, Kagome, Sango and everyone else were in Kaede's hut, all sitting around the smoldering fireplace and discussing (or, in InuYasha and Kagome's case, arguing) about what had happened to Chiyo earlier that evening. InuYasha was having a very hard time explaining exactly what had happened, since he himself had had no idea what was going on at the time.

"InuYasha," Miroku said, "please, would you just repeat what happened one more time?"

InuYasha frowned and opened his mouth to shoot a retort at him, but Miroku held up his hand. "_Please_," he pressed. "We just really need to get our heads around this. Just once more."

InuYasha gritted his teeth, but he rolled his eyes and started again.

"Chiyo woke up eventually, a few minutes after Kagome left," he began. "She said she felt sore, and hot. So I took off most of her blankets."

Miroku looked as if he was about to interrupt, but InuYasha cut him short. "If you wanna here the story again, then there'll be NO interrupting!" he growled. Miroku wisely stayed silent.

"Anyway," InuYasha continued, "I told her everyone was outside, fixing up the village after that bastard Naraku's attack. Then she said she was sorry about what she had said about..._Kikyo_ before." InuYasha practically forced the word out. "After she rubbed her head, and I think that's when she felt it."

Everyone had heard the story repeated enough times by now to know what InuYasha was talking about. The problem was that nobody could actually figure out what it really was.

"So she sat up," InuYasha went on, "and pulled back her sleeve. Like I've described _fifteen times before_," he emphasized, glaring sideways at Kagome, "there was a weird, black thing on her wrist. It had glowing, flashing lights all over it, and one big, rectangle-shaped, flat glowing part in the middle of it. I kept asking Chiyo what the hell it was, but she wouldn't answer. She pressed one of the flashing spots and a shiny picture of a house came up out of the rectangle part – well, it _looked_ like a house, but it was really different to the ones here..." InuYasha trailed off, frowning. His eyes slowly wandered over to Kagome. "What?" she asked. "What it is?"

"In fact," InuYasha said slowly, "the house looked a lot like the ones you live in back in your world."

Kagome blinked once, then she pointed a finger at InuYasha. "You see!" she exclaimed. "I told you it was a good idea to repeat it again! This is the sort of important stuff that you forget to tell us about!"

"Oh yeah?!" InuYasha yelled back, "Well-!!"

"Stop arguing!!" Sango and Miroku both yelled at the same time, making everyone stare. "This is going to get us nowhere!" Sango exclaimed. InuYasha pulled a face and Kagome frowned, but they both stayed quiet.

"Please continue, InuYasha," Miroku asked exasperatingly.

InuYasha huffed, then went on. "Anyway, the weird shiny picture of the house eventually faded away, and I asked Chiyo what the hell it was again. She still wasn't answering. Then she suddenly jumped up and ran out of the room as quick as anything before I could even realize what was going on (InuYasha had decided beforehand to leave out the part where Chiyo had tricked him into thinking Naraku was behind him). Anyway, I chased after her, and I yelled out to you guys," he gestured to all of them, "and all of you started looking for her as well. I ran into the forest and found her in some clearing a little way in. And behind her was..."

"The portal," Miroku said. InuYasha gave him a glare, and Miroku obediently shut up.

"Yes, the portal," InuYasha repeated. "She had one foot inside it, and I yelled out to her. She looked at me, then she yelled back _'Don't follow me!_'. She then jumped inside it, and the portal started closing. I ran and tried to jump in after her, but it closed before I could make it there. I spent ages looking for a way to follow her, searching the clearing for a sign, scent, anything. Of course, nothing turned up. So I came back, and here we are."

As InuYasha finished, everyone was quiet, thinking over what he had just said. After a while, Shippo looked up and said, "I dunno about you guys, but I'm totally clueless to what might have happened. Anyone else got any ideas?"

Kagome sighed. "Well, I don't."

Miroku rubbed his forehead. "Me either."

Sango shook her head. "I'm stuck."

InuYasha shrugged. "I already told you all I know. Beats me."

Kagome glared at him. "You could take this a bit more seriously, y'know," she said to him.

"Keh!" InuYasha exclaimed, looking the other way. But in actual fact, he was trying his best to come up with any way to figure out what had happened to Chiyo. '_I didn't tell her,_'he thought, '_how grateful I was to her. For saving Kagome. I swear Chiyo, if I ever find you, I owe you one._'

"Well, if we can't figure this out now," Kagome said, "there's something else that's got me wondering." Everyone looked over to her, and she looked serious. "What I want to know," she said, "is what Naraku had to do with all this."

* * *

Kagura floated over the village on her huge feather, listening in to the group's conversation. She was close enough to hear every word being said, but far enough away for InuYasha not to catch her scent. She had adjusted the wind herself to make sure it was blowing her smell away from the village, but she didn't want to take any chances. '_How interesting,_' she thought to herself, before turning away and flying off. '_No wonder Naraku wanted me to spy on you._'

* * *

There was a quiet knock on the door. "Enter," Naraku said impassively. The door slid open, and Kagura walked in. "Ah, Kagura," Naraku said, looking over to the wind demon with slight interest. "Back already."

"You were right," Kagura said, her voice dripping in disappointment. "That little weakling had something after all." She saw Kana out of the corner of her eye, standing in the corner and blankly staring at nothing.

Naraku felt himself fill with satisfaction, but he kept his voice calm. "Please Kagura, tell me."

Kagura gritted her teeth together, but she complied, telling him everything she had heard. After she had finished, Naraku was silent. Kagura stood there, wondering if the silence meant she was dismissed or not. Eventually Naraku said, "You may leave." Kagura quickly turned and walked out, her head held high. The door slid closed, and Naraku looked over at Kana. "So, that girl got the better part of the power," he sighed. "And now she's escaped."

Kana said nothing, but her mirror suddenly lit up. Naraku looked into it, and images of Chiyo sitting in the hut with InuYasha and her escaping through the portal flashed across the circular glass. Naraku frowned, and looked away. The images on the mirror faded. Naraku held his hand in front of him, staring at it. "But even so," he said to himself, "I still gained some of it."

Naraku smiled maliciously, and he clenched his hand into a fist.

"Maybe it's time I put that power to good use."

* * *

Getting stuck inside your favourite show was weird. Finding out you were a half-demon was weirder.

But Chiyo thought the feeling of going through a portal was the weirdest of them all.

After she had stepped into the portal, Chiyo realized that there was no ground to step on, and her foot fell through thin air. Her stomach had lurched and she had fallen headfirst into the portal. She had tried to scream, but when she opened her mouth, no sound had come out. She tumbled through the vast expanse of nothingness, and all she could see was swirling colours surrounding her. There was a loud ringing in her ears, and she felt like she was going to be sick. Desperately she closed her eyes, but she still couldn't get rid of the feeling of vertigo.

Then, suddenly, she smacked onto something, face first, and the feeling was gone.

Chiyo kept her eyes shut. She didn't want to open them. Her head was still spinning, her stomach still doing somersaults inside her. She felt herself sprawled out on some sort of flat surface, which was what she had smacked into. Then she realized that the surface wasn't_ hard_ – it felt like fabric. Chiyo rolled onto her back, her eyes still shut tight. She lay there, spread out like a star, waiting for her head to calm down and her stomach to settle. Her body eventually calmed, realizing it was still again. Her breathing returned to normal, and her tensed muscles relaxed. Chiyo decided it was time to open her eyes. Slowly but surely, her eyelids opened, and she looked at her surroundings. Because she was on her back, she was looking up at a ceiling. And on the ceiling there was...Chiyo squinted her eyes, trying to make sense of the small object above her. It looked like...a light bulb. '_Huh_,' Chiyo thought. _'Well that's pretty normal. Of course the would be a light bulb on a cei_-'

Chiyo did a double take. '_Wait a second, a light bulb?!_' she thought shockingly. '_But that means..._'

Chiyo suddenly realized that the surface she was lying on felt a lot like carpet. A lot like the carpet that she had at home. Quicker than you could blink, Chiyo was on her feet, and she gasped as she looked around. There was the stairs. There was the couch. And there was the computer. Her hand flew to her mouth, and tears came to her eyes. '_I'm......home......_"

Chiyo ran over to the computer. Everything was still up. The chat that she had had with Ookami before she'd left. The YouTube page where she'd been watching InuYasha. And the computer looked fine. The last time she'd been here, it had been going chaotic, but now it looked brand new. Chiyo's eyes wandered over to the time in the corner of the screen. and she gasped. It was 12:43. The exact same time it had been right before she'd been sucked into 'InuYasha'. '_But..._' Chiyo thought, perplexed. '_But I've been gone for nearly four days! How could it possibly be..._'

Chiyo checked the date as well, just to make sure, but that was the same too. Chiyo shook her head, and decided not to think about it. She didn't _want_ to think about it. All that mattered now was that she was back, back home. She sunk back into the chair that she thought was behind her, but instead she missed the chair and landed in the toy box instead. _Again_. Chiyo laughed, and picked herself up. '_I guess things really are back to normal,_' she thought happily. She blinked, then quickly grabbed the top of her head. No dog ears. Her clothes had returned to normal as well, and there were no 2-inch claws on her hands. Chiyo smiled, but then she frowned as she looked at her right wrist. '_That watch,_' she thought, staring at it. '_It...it's still on me..._'

Suddenly, Chiyo heard the click of a door being unlocked from downstairs. She jumped up and ran to the window, looking out onto the front yard. Her mum and dad's car was in the driveway. Chiyo filled with excitement and a huge smile lit up her face. '_They're back! I haven't seen them in four flipping days! Yes! They're back, they're ba-_'

Chiyo's smile suddenly faded. '_Wait a sec,_' she thought. '_It's been four days to me, but here, no time's passed. If I go running down to them, they'll think something's up..._'

"Chiyo! Chiyo, we're home!" a woman's voice called.

"You should've seen your brother play today!" a man's voice called. "He was fantastic! Best game of cricket I've ever seen!"

"Thanks, Dad!" a young boy's voice called. "Hey, Sis! Sis, c'mon down here!"

'_What should I do?_' Chiyo thought desperately. '_I don't think they'd believe me, but even if they did, I don't want them finding out, all they'd do is worry..._'

"Sis?"

Chiyo jumped at the closeness of the voice, and she realized that her brother, Kyon, was standing right next to her. He'd come upstairs, and she hadn't noticed she's been that deep in thought. The nine-year-old boy was looking at her with concern. "Sis, are you alright?" he asked. Chiyo blinked, then grabbed onto her little brother and pulled him into a hug. She stopped herself from yelling out anything, fearing her parents might come up, but she couldn't stop herself from crying. Kyon stiffened in her arms, but he seemed to realize this was an important moment, and he lightly patted her on the back. "There there, Sis," he said awkwardly. "It...it's okay."

"Oh Kyon," Chiyo whispered. She hugged him for a little longer, then she let go and looked at him. "Kyon, I've been through so much, I don't know what to do!" she whispered desperately, wiping her eyes. Kyon frowned. "O-kaaaaaaaaay," he said slowly, "but...why are you whispering?"

Chiyo pressed a finger to her lips, and she turned and pulled her little brother in the direction of her room. She dragged him in and shut the door, then flicked on the light. "Now," Chiyo said, looking him in the eye. "Can you keep a secret?"

* * *

Three weeks. That's how long it had been since Chiyo had disappeared. InuYasha was watching over everyone as they slept in the village hut. Miroku had conveniently seen an ominous cloud above the most expensive hotel in the village _again_, and they were staying here the night as a 'return in the favor,' as the innkeeper had put it. Everyone else was asleep, but InuYasha had had trouble sleeping these last few nights. There was too much on his mind. Naraku hadn't shown himself for ages, and they were having trouble locating jewel shards. Today InuYasha had called Kagome 'defective' because she couldn't sense anything, and he had earned a sit for that. And Kikyo's death still troubled him. On top of that, they still couldn't figure out what had happened to Chiyo. No one had mentioned the topic for a while now, seeming as it had been so long since she'd disappeared, but it was still on everyone's minds.

InuYasha stared at the sleeping Kagome lying close to him. Humans looked so peaceful when they were sleeping. He sighed, wishing he might be able to fall asleep as easily as she did soon. InuYasha closed his eyes and tried to relax. But after a minute or so his ears twitched, and he opened his eyes. He could hear footsteps coming this way. And he could sense the presence of small demons as well. He stood up quietly and placed on hand on his hilt. He looked over at the open doorway from where he was standing, and he saw a glowing light. As the demon's presence drew closer, the light became brighter. Suddenly the demon passed by the doorway, and InuYasha's eyes widened. "A...a soul collector?!" he whispered, not believing his eyes. The long, snake-like demon flew past the door, orbs of white light surrounding it. '_But if they're here,_' InuYasha thought,'_then that means..._'

Suddenly the footsteps InuYasha had heard drew close, and the person that had been making them passed by the doorway. InuYasha gasped as she walked by, not believing his eyes. The priestess didn't stop and look. She just kept walking. InuYasha's hand dropped from his hilt, and he stared blankly as the priestess walked by.

"Ki..." he whispered, "Ki...ki..."

"Kikyo..."

* * *

Kagome rolled over in her sleep, and she banged her nose on the wall, waking herself up. "Oww..." she said quietly, rubbing her nose. She yawned, then rolled back over and rested her head on her pillow. She expected to see InuYasha sitting cross-legged against the wall, but he wasn't there. Frowning, she sat up and looked around. InuYasha wasn't anywhere. She started to worry. "Sango!" she hissed, nudging the sleeping woman next to her. "Hey Sango, wake up!"

"Hmm?" Sango moaned, tired. She opened her eyes sleepily and looked at Kagome. "Whaddisit..." she mumbled groggily.

"It's InuYasha, he's gone!" Kagome whispered. Sango rubbed her eyes, then she sat up and looked around. Not seeing the half-demon anywhere, she began to wake up more. "Where'd think he went?" Kagome whispered, worry in her eyes. Sango frowned. "I'm not sure..." she whispered back. She looked at Kagome. "Hey, do you sense that?" she asked.

Kagome blinked, then concentrated. "The demon presence?" Kagome whispered. Sango nodded. "It's small, but present," she said, pulling the blanket off of her. "Hey, Miroku!" Sango whispered, nudging the sleeping monk. He smiled in his sleep. "One at a time, ladies," he said dreamily, "there's enough to go around!"

An anger mark popped onto Sango's head, and she kicked Miroku in the behind. "Wake up, you!" she yelled, and he yelped and fell off his blanket. He blinked, then sat up and looked at Sango. "What was that for?!" he exclaimed, but Sango was getting her Hiraikotsu and ignoring him. Kagome sighed. "InuYasha's gone missing," she explained to him, "and we feel a demon presence."

"What kind of demon?" Shippo asked nervously (Sango's yelling had woken him up). Kagome patted him on the head. "We're not sure," she told him, "but that's why we're up. We're gonna go check it out."

"C'mon, let's go," Sango said, standing in the doorway with her Hiraikotsu already. Miroku picked up his staff, and Kagome grabbed her bow and arrows. Kirara ran out and transformed into her larger, saber-toothed form, and the five of them ran out of the village, in the direction the demon presence was coming from.

Eventually they reached the edge of a forest close to the village. "They're close," Sango told them, tensing. Kagome notched an arrow, and Miroku pulled out a sacred sutra. All of them looked around, trying to spot the demons. Suddenly Kagome gasped. "Over there!" she yelled, and ran into the forest. Miroku, Sango, Kirara and a reluctant Shippo ran after her. They could see a bright glowing light in the distance, and they could hear loud crashes and bangs. They turned a corner in the forest and entered a clearing. All of them gasped at the sight in front of them. There, standing in the middle of the clearing with her bow drawn, was Kikyo. And she was shooting at InuYasha. InuYasha was doing his best to dodge her sacred arrows, but he wasn't having much luck. "InuYasha!!" Kagome yelled, and she drew her bow and shot at Kikyo. Kikyo sidestepped and the arrow missed her by a hair's breath. She looked at Kagome briefly, then ignored her and went back to shooting at InuYasha. InuYasha hadn't drawn his sword, and he looked shocked and confused. He saw Kagome, and he was yelling at her to leave. "No, I won't!" Kagome yelled back. InuYasha looked ready to yell something back, but he didn't see Kikyo draw her bow again. He didn't see the arrow shoot out until it had hit him in the chest. He stared at it for a split second, then looked up at Kikyo with pained eyes. Then he fell back onto the ground and lay there, still. Kagome's breath caught, and everyone else behind her gasped. "INUYASHA!!" she screamed, running towards him. Kikyo stood staring at him, unmoving and expressionless. Kagome knelt beside him and yanked the arrow out. Blood spilled out from the wound onto her hands. "InuYasha!! InuYasha!!" Kagome cried, tears overflowing from her eyes. He didn't respond. "InuYasha, please!! _Say something!!_" she screamed desperately. Kagome saw his hand twitch out of the corner of her eye, and she gasped. "InuYasha!" she yelled. "InuYasha, can you hea-"

Suddenly Kagome was thrown back, and she landed on the ground with a thud. She scrambled up and saw InuYasha slowly getting up. He was hunched over and growling ferociously. He looked up at Kikyo, and Kagome gasped. His eyes were red with purple pupils. He had become a full demon.

Kikyo frowned. "So you're still alive," she said, almost to herself. "My work is not done." She notched another arrow in her bow and took aim. "No!!" Kagome yelled, and she ran towards Kikyo. But Miroku and Sango grabbed her and pulled her back. "Let go of me!!" Kagome cried. "I have to help him!!"

"No!" Miroku told her. "Just wait with us, we need to come up with a plan! We can't just blindly attack them!"

Even though Kagome desperately wanted to help InuYasha, she knew Miroku was right, and she gradually stopped struggling. The three ran behind a tree and hid there, where Shippo and Kirara were waiting. "Well," Kagome said impatiently, "what do we do?!"

"We have to try and stop Kikyo first," Miroku said. In the background were the sounds of InuYasha growling and Kikyo's arrows firing. "She's too strong to fight, but we don't want to kill her."

"But she's trying to kill InuYasha!" Kagome cried.

"Even so," Sango reasoned, "InuYasha won't forgive us if we do kill her, Kagome. We can't hurt him like that."

"Yeah," Chiyo said, "but didn't Kikyo already die? Why is she here now?"

"I don't know," Miroku admitted, looking over at the fight, "but she's here now, so there's nothing we can do abo-"

Miroku stopped in mid-sentence, and slowly turned his head back. He stopped and stared at the new person blankly for a few seconds. So did everyone else. Then, all at the same time, everyone jumped back and yelled, "Chiyo?!!"

"Hi guys," Chiyo said, grinning hugely, "I'm back!"

* * *

**Chiyo:** Yay, I'm back!

**InuYasha:** You just said that.

**Laura:** See ya all next time (can't be bothered writing anything else).


	7. Chapter 7: The Explanation

**Kagome:** You did it again.

**Laura: **Did what? (laughs nervously)

**Chiyo: **You waited ages before updating the story. AGAIN.

**Laura:** B-b-but…I have real excuses this time!

**InuYasha:** Uh huh. Sure.

**Laura:** I'm serious! My computer actually broke down, so I couldn't type it up. The only reason I can type now is because I begged my dad to use his laptop.

**InuYasha:** Whatever. Can we please start already? The sooner we start, the sooner I can get outta here.

**Laura:** Hold on – I need to tell a reviewer called **fullmetalshadowwolf** something!

**Chiyo:** Alright, what do you want to tell her?

**Laura:** That one of her favourite characters Ookami is going to come up in this chapter!

**Chiyo:** Ookami? Oh, she's my best friend in the story, right?

**Laura:** Yup! So to fullmetalshadowwolf (and everyone else reading this), Ookami Banaku appears in this Chapter!

**Shippo: **Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 7 – The Explanation**

_Previously…_

_"We have to try and stop Kikyo first," Miroku said. In the background were the sounds of InuYasha growling and Kikyo's arrows firing. "She's too strong to fight, but we don't want to kill her."_

_"But she's trying to kill InuYasha!" Kagome cried._

_"Even so," Sango reasoned, "InuYasha won't forgive us if we do kill her, Kagome. We can't hurt him like that."_

_"Yeah," Chiyo said, "but didn't Kikyo already die? Why is she here now?"_

_"I don't know," Miroku admitted, looking over at the fight, "but she's here now, so there's nothing we can do abo-"_

_Miroku stopped in mid-sentence, and slowly turned his head back. He stopped and stared at the new person blankly for a few seconds. So did everyone else. Then, all at the same time, everyone jumped back and yelled, "Chiyo?!!"_

_"Hi guys," Chiyo said, grinning hugely, "I'm back!"_

_

* * *

_

Everyone was silent for about three seconds as they all stared at the grinning Chiyo disbelievingly. Then suddenly everyone began talking at once.

"What the -!!"

"But how -!!"

"But you -!!"

"Didn't you –!!"

"But now -!!"

"Gah!" Chiyo exclaimed, leaning back slightly. "Everyone, quiet!" she instructed, placing a finger on her lips. The yelling died down, leaving everyone to stare at her dumbstruck again. Miroku shook his head, eyes wide. "Chiyo," he said, "honestly, how did you manage to get ba-"

Chiyo moved her finger off of her lips and placed her hand over Miroku's mouth. "Look," she reasoned, addressing everyone, "I know you're all wondering how I got back and all, but the questions will _seriously_ have to wait. Right now we have to help InuYasha." She jerked her head in the direction of the fighting demon and priestess. Miroku paused for a second, then he nodded, and Chiyo took her hand off of his face.

"So as I was saying," Miroku said slowly, still eying Chiyo disbelievingly, "someone has to stop Kikyo."

"No, actually," Chiyo put in. Everyone looked at her.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

"Yeah," Kagome said, "we have to stop her from hurting InuYasha!"

"No, not _stop_," Chiyo interrupted. "We have to _kill_ her."

"Kill her?!" Miroku exclaimed.

"We can't do that!" Sango told her harshly. Chiyo sighed. "Well explain this then," she said exasperatingly. "Kikyo has very high levels of spiritual energy, right?"

Everyone nodded slowly, wondering what Chiyo was getting at.

"Now, can any of you guys sense any spiritual aura coming from her?" she asked. "Any at all?"

There was a pause as everyone frowned and concentrated on sensing Kikyo's aura. But the longer they concentrated, the more confused everyone seemed to become.

"This is so strange…" Kagome muttered.

"I should be able to sense her easily," Sango exclaimed softly, "but I…I can't feel anything!"

"Chiyo," Miroku said, "what are you saying? Are you implying that the priestess over there is not…"

"…is not Kikyo," Chiyo said with him, nodding her head. "I'm not good at sensing auras, but from the second I got here I could smell that it wasn't her."

"Well then," Kagome said, frowning, "who on earth could that be over there?"

"I really don't know," Chiyo admitted, "but I do know this –"

Suddenly Chiyo's ears twitched, and she spun around just as a demon InuYasha slammed into the tree the group was hiding behind. Everyone jumped back, and InuYasha briskly got to his feet. He turned around, and his red eyes locked with Chiyo's. Growling menacingly, he bared his fangs at her.

"Guys…" Chiyo said slowly, not taking her eyes off InuYasha, "go and handle Kikyo. Now."

"But Chiyo –" Sango started to say, looking worryingly at InuYasha.

"_Now_," Chiyo said firmly. "I can take him. Just go."

There was a pause, but everyone eventually ran around the two and toward the fake Kikyo, who was notching another arrow in the centre of the clearing.

Chiyo tensed her claws, waiting for the moment when InuYasha would strike. InuYasha inched forward, then he abruptly struck out at her. Chiyo barely managed to avoid the blow, and suddenly InuYasha was attacking her, swinging his claws madly at her from all directions. Chiyo was forced to constantly move back to avoid being hit by the advancing demon.

"Ok, left! Right! Right! _Duck_!! Left! Right! _Left again_!!" Chiyo constantly yelled out to herself. As she yelled out those things, she'd dodge one of InuYasha's swiping claws. InuYasha's growling became more and more ferocious as he kept missing his target. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Chiyo saw a bright flash of light, and she jumped out of the way just as a sacred arrow came hurtling towards her and InuYasha. Thankfully, InuYasha dodged it as well. Chiyo landed a fair few metres away.

"Guys, you're supposed to be handling Kikyo!!" Chiyo yelled at them.

"Well it's sort of a challenge over here!" Miroku shouted back, as he, Kagome, Sango and Kirara (Shippo had gone and hidden behind another tree as oppose to fighting) were all trying to get a hold on Kikyo. They weren't having much luck though, amidst trying to dodge her sacred arrows and holding their own weapons as well (have you ever tried to hold a struggling priestess while holding a giant boomerang? No, I didn't think so). But, as Chiyo looked more carefully, she saw something strange – the fake Kikyo wasn't looking at anyone around her as she dodged them, because she never took her eyes off InuYasha. All she seemed to be focusing on was drawing her bow and trying to harm InuYasha.

Chiyo saw Kagome turn around, and she looked in horror at something behind Chiyo. "Chiyo, watch out!!" she screamed to her. Chiyo turned around and gasped as she saw InuYasha running up to her, his claws raised. Chiyo didn't have time to dodge, and InuYasha swiped her across the stomach. Chiyo cried out and went flying backwards, skidding across the clearing and smacking into a tree. InuYasha ran up to the limp half-demon girl, and he raised his bloodied claw high in the air. "Chiyo!!" Kagome cried, running towards them. Chiyo looked up at his claw, panicking. 'Crap,' she thought, 'move dammit, move!'

InuYasha plunged his claw downwards towards Chiyo's chest. Chiyo forced herself to ignore the pain covering her body, and she kicked out as hard as she could with her leg. Her aim was true, and she landed a blow on InuYasha's shin. He hissed with pain and staggered back, his claw swiping the air inches above Chiyo's face. Chiyo crawled away as fast as she could while InuYasha clutched his leg. '_Doggone it!_' Chiyo thought. '_I gotta end this fast, before I really get hurt!_'

Suddenly Chiyo heard a scream from behind her. She turned around and saw it was Kagome, and the demon InuYasha had turned to her. He was running towards the teenager, and Kagome couldn't get out of the way.

"Kagome!!" both Sango and Miroku cried. Chiyo scrambled to her feet and ran towards InuYasha, slamming into him right before he reached Kagome. Both of them fell to the ground, rolling over each other a few times before coming to a stop. Chiyo landed on top of InuYasha, and she pinned him to the ground. InuYasha snarled and thrashed about madly beneath her, and it took every bit of Chiyo's strength to hold him down. As she struggled to keep him pinned, her eyes were drawn to the sword strapped around his waist. '_Of course,_' Chiyo thought, '_the Tetsuaiga! The sword can revert the transformation!_'

Chiyo grabbed the hilt with one hand and tried to pull it out. But the sword wouldn't budge. Chiyo frowned, then pulled harder. Still, nothing. "Why!! Isn't!! This!! Damn!! Thing!! Coming!! Out?!" Chiyo grunted, yanking on the sword on every syllable. She grabbed the hilt with both hands, and pulled again. After a split-second Chiyo froze, suddenly wondering that if she had both hands on the sword, then what was pinning down InuYasha?

"Oh crap -!!"

InuYasha, seizing the opportunity, threw Chiyo off of him and sprung up. Chiyo skidded roughly across the ground, landing in a heap across the clearing. InuYasha growled at her from the distance.

"Chiyo!" Miroku yelled, but he couldn't run to help her; he, Kirara and Sango were having trouble restraining Kikyo as it was. The fake kept trying to throw them off, and all the while she kept muttering to herself, "I must kill him, I must kill him, it is my only task, I must kill him…"

Miroku couldn't make sense of it; all the Kikyo doppelganger seemed to be concerned about was killing InuYasha.

Suddenly, InuYasha set his eyes on Kagome again, and she gasped and took a step back. She looked around desperately for a way to escape, but there was none. Chiyo, slightly dazed from her injuries, slowly sat up, rubbing her head. She snapped her head up when she heard Kagome cry out, and she saw InuYasha running towards her, a murderous glint in his eye. Chiyo scrambled up, and she realized something was in her hands.

"**Holy MOLY!**" she exclaimed, and everyone looked at her, even the demon InuYasha. In Chiyo's hands was the Tetsuaiga; the strength of the push InuYasha had given her had pulled the sword from its sheath. But what made everyone stare was this – the Tetsuaiga had transformed in Chiyo's hands, into its gigantic fang form. "What the hell…!!" Chiyo said to herself in both awe and shock.

"How…" Miroku said softly, "…how did she do that?"

"I don't know…" Sango said, staring also in shock.

Chiyo stared at the sword for a couple more seconds, then smiled to herself. "I guess Kyon's theory was right," she said under her breath.

InuYasha, noticing everyone was distracted by the sword, suddenly made another bolt for Kagome. Kagome screamed, making everyone turn to her again. "Kagome!!" everyone cried out. Chiyo tightened her grip on the sword, the made a dash towards InuYasha. She raised the sword above her head and cried, "I'm sorry, InuYasha!!"

"No Chiyo!!" Sango yelled fearfully.

"Don't do it!!" Miroku shouted out to her. Both of them took their eyes off Kikyo. The fake priestess saw her chance, and she shot an arrow towards InuYasha. Chiyo reached InuYasha and swung the sword down towards his head. "NO!!" Kagome screamed, horrified.

SMACK!

Kagome saw Chiyo turn the blade sideways in the air at the last second and smack InuYasha in the back of the head. He wavered for a second, the slumped onto the ground, knocked out cold. The second he fell, the arrow Kikyo had sent flying towards him sped past, missing the demon by a hair's breath. "No…!!" the fake Kikyo exclaimed. Sango turned and in one swift movement drew her sword and stabbed the priestess in the chest. Kikyo jerked at the impact, but she didn't cry out in pain, nor did she bleed. "No…" she whispered, as the life left her eyes. "My task…was not…completed…"

The Kikyo closed her eyes, and she dissolved into the air, into nothing more than dust. Everyone stared at the sight in disbelief.

"Who was that?" Sango wondered out loud.

"I would say a demon," Miroku said, "but I couldn't fell any demonic aura coming from her."

"Me either," Sango agreed. "In fact, I couldn't feel anything. It was like she had no aura."

Kagome sank to her knees, relieved the fight was over. Chiyo carefully placed the Tetsuaiga in InuYasha's hands, and she saw the red and purple colours fade away from his open, unconscious eyes. The sight unnerved her a little, and she swayed where she stood.

"I don't know who that Kikyo was," Chiyo said, "but I do know this – I detected a faint scent of Naraku on her."

Everyone in the clearing gasped. "You did?!" Miroku exclaimed. Chiyo nodded. "Yup," she said, and swayed a little more. "Now if you'll excuse me," she said, dazed, "I'm about to pass out…"

Chiyo couldn't handle the pain from her injuries any more, and she collapsed onto the ground and fainted.

* * *

A fair few hours later, everyone was back at the village, in Kaede's hut. InuYasha was still unconscious, but Chiyo had woken up again and was having her injuries treated by Kaede. Everyone was desperate to ask her about where she had been for the past three weeks, but Kaede had strictly warned them to wait until she was ready to talk. So everyone was sitting outside the hut, trying not to be impatient and amusing themselves by drawing in the dirt or kicking stones around.

Soon, Kaede stuck her head out of the hut door, and everyone looked up expectantly. "She's ready to see ye all now," she told them. Everyone went to rush into the hut, but Kaede put up a hand to stop them. "Calmly and quietly, if ye please," she warned. They all walked into the hut then, and they sat around Chiyo, who was lying down and wrapped in lots of bandages. "How're you doing?" Kagome asked. Chiyo smiled, then winced as she sat up. "I've been better, I guess," she replied. It was silent. Everyone was busting to hear Chiyo talk, but no one wanted to ask first.

Chiyo sighed and shook her head, laughing under her breath. "Well?" she said expectantly. "Have all of you suddenly lost interest in what happened to me or something?"

"No!" everyone exclaimed. "Ah-" Miroku said, "what we mean to ask is…" he smiled nervously. "Would you please explain what happened to you since we saw you last?"

Chiyo grinned. "I'd be more than happy to. But first-"

Chiyo pulled something out from behind her, and a bright flash engulfed the room for a split second. Everyone blinked and started at the unexpected flash, and they looked at the object in Chiyo's hand.

"What's that?" Sango asked. Kagome gasped.

"Is that a…camera?!" she exclaimed. Chiyo's grin widened. "Yup," she said, putting the camera on the floor. "It's just something my little brother asked me to do. Now then…"

Chiyo then launched into a full explanation about what had happened when she'd entered the portal, and how she'd ended up back in her home. She told them how it had been as though no time had passed at all, and she explained how she's dragged her younger brother Kyon into her room.

"And then what?" Kagome asked. Chiyo leaned her head back to look at the ceiling.

"Well…"

* * *

"Can you keep a secret?"

Kyon raised his eyebrows. "A secret?" he said. "What sort of secret?"

"Like, a life-or-death secret," Chiyo said, stressing the 'life-or-death' part exponentially.

Kyon stared at her, then he sighed and raised his hand to his heart. "I swear on my mother's life that I will keep this life-or-death secret a secret till the day I die."

"Thanks," Chiyo said, plonking down on her bed (which, to no surprise, had an InuYasha bed sheet covering it). She was quiet for a moment, and soon Kyon sat beside her, waiting for her to talk. "Well?" he asked expectantly. Chiyo turned to him sighed, pulling up her right sleeve. Kyon looked down, and his eyes widened as he saw the digital watch on her wrist. "Woah!" he exclaimed, grabbing her arm and pulling the watch up to his face to get a closer look. "When'd you get this?"

"Well, it's sort of a long story…" Chiyo trailed off, having no idea where to start. Kyon looked up at her. "I'm listening," he said. Chiyo leaned her head to the side and closed her eyes. "Well, it all started when I finished watching InuYasha…"

* * *

…and then I stepped through the portal and landed here again. Even though no time's past here, I've actually been gone for three whole days."

"Is that so?" Kyon said, not taking his eyes off the watch. During the middle of Chiyo's story, Kyon had rushed downstairs and brought up his toolbox, and now he was poking his screwdriver in any spare spot he could fit it. The room was silent except for the quiet clinks of metal on metal.

"Well…?" Chiyo asked nervously. "Do…do you believe me?"

Kyon frowned and poked at the watch for a few more seconds, then abruptly asked, "Take it off."

Chiyo blinked. "Huh? Take off what?"

"Take it off," Kyon said again, tapping the watch with his screwdriver. "Oh," Chiyo said, understanding now. She placed her hand on the straps and tried to undo them. But they wouldn't budge. Chiyo pulled harder, but it was like they were glued together. She gave the strap a hard yank, and the watch beeped rapidly a few times before a small blue spark flew out of it onto Chiyo's hand.

"Ouch!!" Chiyo exclaimed, her hand zipping away from the strap. "It…it zapped me!"

"Just as I thought…" Kyon muttered to himself. "Eh?" Chiyo said, raising her eyebrows. Kyon looked up at her. "Usually I'd say that I wouldn't believe a crazy story like that, Sis," he said to her, "but I've had a look at this watch, and let me tell you it's more complicated than most pieces of machinery I've ever seen."

"Are you serious?" Chiyo exclaimed. Kyon nodded. "There's a defence configuration inside that prohibits individuals from eradicating the apparatus…"

"Oy," Chiyo said, "English if you please, lil' bro."

Kyon gave her an apologetic smile. "There's a security system inside it. If anyone tries to take it off, they get a zap, like you just did."

"Ah."

"So anyway, that security configuration is just one part of it. There are tons of other installations in there that I can't even begin to indentify. I couldn't believe that you just got this at any old store."

"So you believe me?" Chiyo said excitedly. Kyon smiled. "You're just not the lying type, Sis," he said. "I can tell when you're lying, and you weren't just then. Add this evidence," he gestured to the watch, "and you've got one convinced little brother."

"Oh my gosh, thankyou!" Chiyo exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Kyon. Kyon awkwardly patted her on the back. "No problem," he said, laughing a little.

"Anyway," Kyon said, inspecting the watch again, "I have a few theories about what happened to you."

"Theories? About what?" Chiyo asked.

"Well for starters, you said you looked like InuYasha when you were there, right? That you had the same clothes and you were even a half-demon."

"Yeah, I was. It seriously freaked me out lot at first."

"Well, my hypothesis is that when you got taken in via the computer, something may have happened to you genes and DNA."

"My DNA?"

"Yeah. It's possible that your DNA may have mixed with InuYasha's because of all the files you have on the computer of him and the show."

"Yeah…I do have over six hundred pictures of him…"

"_Six hundred?!_"

Chiyo laughed nervously. "Yeah, I'm a little obsessed."

"A_ little_, she says…" Kyon said, rolling his eyes. "So if my theory's right, then that's why you must have had half-demon powers and all."

"But I couldn't use Iron Reaver Soul Stealer when I tried once!"

"Do you think InuYasha could just use that attack the second he was born? Of course not, he would have had to practice for ages before he got it right. You probably had no idea what you were doing at the time."

Chiyo hung her head. "Yeah, you're right about that."

"And I also have another theory," Kyon continued. Chiyo raised her head. "You said that when Kagome was untying the ropes on you in Naraku's lair _(see chapter 5)_, that there was a flash of pink light."

"Yeah, there was. It was really weird."

"Hm. Well, I'm certain that the watch has some strong connection to Naraku…"

"_Reaaaaaally_?" Chiyo asked sarcastically. "I would've never guessed."

Kyon glared at her. "Anyway," he continued, "I think that when Kagome touched the place where the watch was, she may have 'purified' it."

"Purified…" Chiyo repeated. "That…makes sense. Oh, and that must've been why Naraku couldn't touch me afterwards as well, cause Kagome had purified me!"

"Precisely," Kyon agreed.

"Man Kyon, I'm so glad you're a genius!" Chiyo exclaimed, strangling him in a hug.

"Can't…breath…Sis…!!" Kyon gasped.

Chiyo let him go, and Kyon rubbed his neck. "But remember," he told her, "these are just presumptions, I don't know for certain whether they're true or-"

Kyon stopped abruptly in mid-sentence, and his head whipped around towards the door. "Someone's coming upstairs!" he whispered frantically.

In an instant Chiyo and Kyon had jumped up, and they both started piling Kyon's tools back into the box. Chiyo grabbed a random book off her shelf and jumped onto her bed, and Kyon shoved the toolbox underneath her bed and grabbed Chiyo's science textbook, opening and lying on the floor with it. Not half a second later the door opened, and Chiyo's dad Shugoto walked in.

"Hey kids," he said, looking at both of them. "What are you two doing?"

"Reading!" both siblings said, grinning at him nervously. Their dad raised his eyebrows at Chiyo. "You're reading a DVD, Chiyo?"

Chiyo looked down at the book she'd supposedly grabbed, and froze as she saw that in the confusion she'd grabbed her InuYasha Movie 2 DVD instead. "Uh…" she said nervously. "Uh…yeah! I was just, y'know, reading the blurb and…memorising all the scenes and stuff…"

'_You idiot_,' Kyon thought, shaking his head. Their dad blinked, then laughed. "Wow," he chuckled, "now I really do know the meaning of 'fangirl.' Anyway," he added, "there's a phone call for you, Chiyo." He then tossed the phone to her, and Chiyo dropped the DVD and caught it. "Hello?" Chiyo said into the receiver, as her dad walked out and shut the door.

"_Hey Tangles!_"

"Omigosh, Ookami!!" Chiyo exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth. Kyon sat up on the bed next to Chiyo, raising his eyebrows. Chiyo nearly said '_I've missed you_' to Ookami, but then she remembered that, according to the time now, she'd been talking to Ookami on MSN only half an hour ago.

"_Geez, you sound shocked to hear from me,_" Ookami laughed. "_What's up__?_"

"Oh, ah…" Chiyo pondered, thinking about all the things that had happened to her over the past three days. "Uh…not much!" she replied. "You?"

"_Heh, not much._" Ookami answered. "_Listen, you doing anything tomorrow?_"

"Me?" Chiyo blinked, and covered the receiver with her hand. "Kyon," she whispered, "are we doing anything tomorrow? In fact, what day is it tomorrow? I lost track of the days while I was 'away'…"

"It's Sunday tomorrow," Kyon told her, "and no, we're not doing anything."

Chiyo took her hand off the phone. "Uh, no, we're not doing anything."

"_Awesome!_" Ookami said. "_You wanna go see a movie and then sleep over at my house?_"

"A sleepover?" Chiyo repeated. "Uh…sure, I don't see why not."

"_Cool! But there's just one rule._"

"Rule?"

"_Yeah. You can't break anything, Tangles. No tripping over your feet or losing your balance on flat surfaces._"

"Oh, shut up," Chiyo said, rolling her eyes. She could hear Ookami laughing on the other side of the phone. "I'll see you tomorrow, kay? I gotta go."

"_Alright,_" Ookami said, still laughing. "_See ya later._"

"Bye."

Chiyo hung up and sighed. Kyon stared at her. "I thought for sure you were gonna tell her," he said. "You're best friends, you know more about each other than your parents do."

"Yeah, I know," Chiyo muttered. "But…not on the phone. Something this important has to be said out loud. I might tell her tomorrow."

"Might?"

"Chiyo, Kyon! Lunch is ready!" a voice called from downstairs.

"C'mon, let's go eat," Chiyo said, jumping up. "I'm starving!"

* * *

The next day…

_DING DONG!_

"I'll get it!"

Chiyo ran to the door and opened it in flash, and there was Ookami, standing there with one hand on her hip. She grinned when she saw Chiyo standing in the doorway. "Hey there!" Chiyo exclaimed happily, opening the door. Ookami stepped inside and patted Chiyo on the head. "Hey," Ookami laughed, "I thought for sure you might've gotten a little bit taller since I saw you last!"

"Oh, go shoot yourself in the foot," Chiyo said to her, sticking her tongue out. Ookami's grin widened. "C'mon," she said, "we gotta get going or we'll miss the movie."

"Kay," Chiyo said, nodding. "Mum, I'm off!"

"Alright!" Chiyo's mother, Kana, called out from the kitchen. "Be safe!"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Tsumomo," Ookami called, "I'll make sure your child comes back in perfect condition!"

"I'm not a collectable, y'know," Chiyo muttered as the two walked out the door. Ookami just laughed.

Later at the cinema, Chiyo and Ookami were looking at the movie schedule. Chiyo let Ookami pick the movie; she didn't really mind, because her thoughts were on another matter entirely. '_I wonder what InuYasha and everyone else is doing right now…maybe they're looking for me? Kagome's probably going mental at InuYasha for losing me…_'

"Chiyo!"

"Eh?" Chiyo said, starting. Ookami was waving her hand in front of her face. "Knock knock, is anyone at home?" she teased, tapping on Chiyo's head. "I asked if you wanna get the tickets and I'll get the snacks."

"Yeah, that's fine," Chiyo said, nodding. Ookami suddenly pulled a concerned face. "Oh no," she said, "we better not do that."

"Huh?" Chiyo said, surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Ookami said, "what if you can't reach up to the counter 'cause you're too little?"

"Oh, put a sock in it!!" Chiyo yelled at her, kicking her playfully in the leg. Ookami laughed and Chiyo stormed off to line up. She looked behind her and grinned at the fact the Ookami was half-limping off to the snack bar.

'_I wonder if time stops in the feudal era while I'm here,_' Chiyo thought as she moved up in line. '_Maybe it's a vice-versa thing. Or maybe not._' She sighed, and looked down at the watch on her wrist. '_Hold on,_' she thought, '_we're not allowed to wear jewellery at school. I hope the watch doesn't count, cause I sorta can't take it off…_' Chiyo grimaced, hoping that the Year 8 co-ordinator would be in a good mood tomorrow. '_I wonder if Ookami will believe me or not. If did end up telling her, that is. I don't know…_' She zoned out, thinking of possible explanations she could give Ookami to convince her that she'd really gone and had a run in with InuYasha. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the woman at the ticket counter calling her over until someone nudged her in the back. Chiyo blinked, then blushed and apologized, quickly running over to the annoyed-looking woman.

Chiyo couldn't even remember what happened throughout the movie afterwards. She stared at the screen, not seeing the moving pictures in front of her, but instead seeing the events she had had in the feudal era – Kagome giving her medicine, InuYasha nearly strangling her, Miroku almost asking her to bear his child, her knocking over an entire tree with a single stone, Naraku capturing her and drawing out the watch from her body. Even after the movie she couldn't concentrate on the conversations she was having with Ookami.

* * *

Later that night, at Ookami's house, both girls were lying on a huge mattress in the living room, playing their Nintendo DS's and eating liquorice. Chiyo suddenly saw that this would be the perfect opportunity to tell Ookami about the watch and her 'adventure' she'd had with InuYasha.

"Hey, Ookami…"

Ookami looked up briefly, then quickly looked down at the DS again. "Yeah?" she said, concentrating on the screen.

"Umm…" Chiyo didn't know how to begin. Ookami looked up again, then she paused the game. "Wat's up?" she asked, crossing her legs.

"Well," Chiyo said, "I sorta…want to tell you something…"

"And what might this something be?" Ookami said, looking expectantly at her. Chiyo bit her lip. "Umm…"

There was a few seconds of silence, then Chiyo sighed. '_I can't do it,_' she thought. '_Why can't I tell her?_'

She looked across the room, to the trophy cabinet leaning against the wall. Her eyes flickered over the many trophies that Ookami had won at her Tai-quon-do competitions, and an idea formed in her mind. She turned back to Ookami, smiling.

"I was wondering," she said, "if I could join your Tai-quon-do class!"

"Huh?" Ookami blinked, a little surprised. "I thought you didn't like fighting that much. Where's this coming from?"

"Oh, I was just thinking the other day 'What if someone attacks me on the street and I can't defend myself?' So I thought maybe I could learn how to fend off strangers, if there ever might come a time I need too."

Ookami raised her eyebrows, and for a moment Chiyo panicked, thinking she might see through her lie. But Ookami eventually shrugged and smiled. "Sure, you can join. Why not!"

Chiyo grinned. "Thanks! I'll learn how to beat you too, so I'm not constantly being thrown out of the room by you when we fight over the last piece of liquorice!"

"Ha!" Ookami laughed. "I don't think so!" Saying this, she grabbed the packet off the mattress and ran out of the room. "Hey!!" Chiyo yelled, jumping up and running after her. "Get back here!!"

"Not unless you can catch me!!" Ookami yelled back, laughing evilly.

* * *

Three weeks later, Chiyo stood in front of her computer. Kyon was next to her, checking the watch one last time. Chiyo had spent the three weeks doing nothing with her free time but watching the rest of the InuYasha series and practicing her fighting skills. Their parents had gone out shopping, and Chiyo and Kyon had taken their exit as an opportunity to 'test run' the watch.

"So you're sure this'll work?" Chiyo asked Kyon.

"For the _thirtieth_ time Sis, I'm certain," Kyon reassured her exasperatingly. "You just press this button here, click this 'ACCEPT' button, and you're off."

"Okay," Chiyo said, taking a deep breath.

"And here," Kyon said, grabbing something off the computer desk and handing it to Chiyo. Chiyo raised her eyebrows. "It's a camera," she said bluntly. Kyon smiled. "Can you take a picture of InuYasha and everyone there for me Sis?" he asked hopefully. "Pleeeeeease?"

Chiyo laughed and rubbed his head. "Of course," she said, smiling. "Thanks for all your help, what with figuring out this watch and all."

"No problem," he said, stepping back. "Now, if all goes properly, you should be gone for only a split second here, right?"

Chiyo nodded. They both stared at each other for a few more seconds, then Kyon flung his arms around Chiyo. "Come back, okay?" he whispered. Chiyo hugged him back. "I will, don't worry," she reassured him, rubbing his back. Kyon pulled away, and Chiyo faced the computer screen. She brought the watch up and pressed the buttons Kyon had instructed her to press. The watch beeped a couple of times, then a portal suddenly appeared in front of the two. Kyon gasped and pointed. "Look!" he exclaimed. "It worked!"

"Yeah," Chiyo said. She turned her head and waved to him. "See you real soon, okay?" she said smiling. Kyon nodded and waved back. Chiyo took a deep breath, then jumped into the portal.

* * *

**Laura:** So everyone knows what happens next, right? Chiyo meets up with InuYasha and everyone and kicks some Kikyo butt.

**Sango:** Hey! Technically Chiyo didn't kick Kikyo's butt, I was the one who killed her!

**Laura:** Whatever. See you all soon!

**Kagome:** Dontcha mean to say 'see you all in two months?'

**Laura:** Quiet, you pessimistic persooooooooooon!!


	8. Chapter 8: The Unexpected Guest

**Laura:** Ta da! The eighth chapter! It's kinda not as long as my other chapters, cause I cut it a little short.

**InuYasha:** Cool. Is the intro done? Can we just get on with it?

**Chiyo:** No! We have important news!

**Laura:** **ALL FANS, PLEASE READ!!** I have now successfully posted fan arts I have drawn myself of Chiyo on deviantArt dot com!!

**Kagome:** Really?

**Laura:** Yep! So all of you, go check it out! (The links or on my bio)

**Chiyo:** Yay! Okay, roll chapter!

**InuYasha:** Finally…

* * *

Chapter 8 – The Unexpected Guest

"So let me get this straight. You're telling us that you can travel through both your world and this one by using this digital watch which was possibly created by Naraku which I purified accidently, and the reason you're a half-demon is because your DNA crossed over with InuYasha's?!"

Chiyo sweatdropped. "Yeah," she said, "I know it all sounds unbelievable when you say it like that – actually, no, it sounds more like crazy. I can barely come to believe it myself; seriously, it feels like I'm in one chaotic dream and that I'm going to wake up in bed any minute. But unless I am really dreaming, then everything I'm telling you is true."

Kagome sighed, rubbing her temples. Only she and Chiyo were chatting to each other; Miroku and Sango had been called out by the villages to help them with a weak demon, and Shippo was taking an afternoon nap in the corner. Kaede was out gathering more medicinal herbs to treat Chiyo with, and InuYasha was still unconscious, lying underneath a blanket on the other side of the room.

"So if that's true," Kagome continued, "then it means Naraku must be pretty angry about all this."

"Yeah," Chiyo said, instantly looking anxious. "I figured he'd be _really_ pissed with all that's going on," she muttered. "And I think I'm on the top of his death list too…"

Kagome looked at Chiyo sympathetically. "Don't worry," she said, "we'll figure something out." She patted Chiyo on the back, and Chiyo winced. "Sorry," Kagome said, withdrawing her hand, "I forgot you were still hurt."

Chiyo smiled at her weakly, rubbing the back of her neck. "S'ok," she reassured her. "To tell you the truth, I think I would have been injured way worse if I wasn't a half-demon right now."

Kagome blinked, and it took her a moment to understand what Chiyo meant. "Oh yeah, that's right," Kagome said. "I remember now – you're a human in your world. It's going to take me a while to get used to that."

Chiyo laughed softly. The two girls were quiet for a minute, thinking. Chiyo thoughts wandered to what Naraku might do to her if he caught her again. Memories of her last encounter with him entered her mind, and she groaned. Kagome looked up at her. "What's wrong?" she asked, looking worried.

"Nothing," Chiyo muttered, trying to expel the frightening imaginations her brain was coming up with out of her mind. Her gaze was drawn to the watch on her right wrist, and she examined it for what must have been the five hundredth time.

"Hey Kagome," she said, "how do you think Naraku would have known about digital watches?"

Kagome blinked, taken by surprise. "I…I have no idea," she admitted, looking startled. "How _would_ he know?"

"Beats me," Chiyo said, shrugging. "That's sorta why I asked you."

"Well that's something we'll have to look into…" Kagome trailed off, lost in thought. She stared at Chiyo's watch as well, intrigued by its endless array of buttons and flashing lights. "Say, Chiyo," she said, frowning, "why did you run off on us the other night? We could've helped you through the portal, but you ran into the forest like you were in danger or something."

Chiyo laughed nervously, and sweatdropped. "Well y'see, about that…" she said, "I sorta didn't want you guys following me, just in case I was wrong about the portal."

Kagome frowned slightly, and Chiyo explained. "Y'see, if I'd been wrong about the portal taking me home, there was a chance I could've ended up in a different place altogether, or I even could've hurt myself, badly."

"But if you thought you were going to hurt yourself, then why go?"

"It was a risk I was willing to take, if it meant I could get home," Chiyo said, looking serious. "But I knew I didn't want to put you guys at that risk. So I ran, and yelled at InuYasha not to follow me through, in case he got hurt."

Kagome nodded, understanding now. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by another annoyed-sounding voice.

"Well could you give us a little more warning next time before you go escaping on us?"

Both girls' heads snapped up at the new speaker, and they spun around. "InuYasha!!" they both cried, and Kagome ran across the room to him immediately (Chiyo tried to follow, but ended up flopping back onto her blanket due to her injuries).

"How are you feeling?" Kagome asked as the half-demon slowly sat up.

"I'm fine, stop worrying," he told her, but he hissed with pain as he tried to push himself up. '_Man, my head's killing me,_' he thought. '_It's like Kagome's just told me to sit a hundred times or something…_'

"Really? Cause you look crap, if you don't mind me saying," Chiyo said, grinning at him. InuYasha glared at her. "Yeah, I _do_ mind you saying that," he snapped, but his eyes widened as he saw how many bandages Chiyo was covered in, some with dark blood stains on them. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked. "In fact, what the hell happened to me?"

Chiyo's smile faltered, and Kagome looked down at the floor. You could cut through the air that followed with a knife.

"Hey," InuYasha said, frowning. "Hey! What's wrong?" he demanded, dread welling up inside him. "**What happened**?"

'_I guess he doesn't remember turning full-demon_,' Chiyo thought, and she could tell Kagome was thinking the same thing. Neither of them wanted to be the one who told him, so they both still kept silent.

"Guys," InuYasha growled, "I swear, if either of you don't start talking soon, I'm gonna-"

"You transformed," Chiyo suddenly blurted out, and InuYasha stared at her. Chiyo looked down, not wanting to meet his gaze. "You transformed," she continued quietly, "into…into a full-demon."

InuYasha felt his dreading assumption fill him from head to toe, but he hid his fear well. "And what happened?" he asked in a controlled voice, but Chiyo could see him fearfully glancing over her injuries. Chiyo bit her lip, but thankfully Kagome continued on for her.

"You were being attacked by Kikyo," she said softly, and InuYasha's head snapped around to look at her. "What?!" he exclaimed. Then he gasped, suddenly remembering seeing Kikyo and following her outside the village. Then he remembered in the clearing, when Kikyo had started shooting him for no reason. He remembered Kagome arriving, and then Kikyo shooting him in the chest…

InuYasha's fists clenched, and he had a strong urge to kick something, or someone. Preferably Shippo. But he did his best to keep calm as Kagome continued.

"She injured you badly," she said, "and you changed. We hid, and then Chiyo arrived. She told us that the Kikyo was a fake."

"A…fake?" InuYasha repeated, and Chiyo nodded. "It didn't smell at all like she should have," she told him. "And I even picked up the scent of Naraku on her."

"Naraku?!" InuYasha yelled. "But - but why didn't I pick up his scent?!"

"Probably because you were too distracted by Kikyo's presence," Chiyo replied. Then, seeing the look on InuYasha's face, she quickly added, "But the scent was really _really_ faint, I only barely picked it up."

InuYasha growled, then slammed his fist down on the floorboards; a little too hard, though, and there was a loud crunching sound of splintering wood. InuYasha extracted his hand from the floor quickly, but Kagome didn't bother to tell him off.

"And after that?" he whispered, his hand trembling. He looked up at Chiyo, and she flinched at his expression. "Well…" she said cautiously, "after…after that you sorta started attacking me. But don't worry!" she said quickly, seeing the blood drain from InuYasha's face. "I'm alright, don't worry."

"You don't look alright to me," he said bluntly.

"Yeah, but…" Chiyo desperately tried to think of something to say that wouldn't make InuYasha want to decapitate himself with his own sword. "Most of these wounds were made by Kikyo!" she lied. InuYasha still looked doubtful. '_Kyon's right, I _do_ suck at lying…_' she thought, and she sighed. "Anyway," she continued, "Sango managed to stab the fake Kikyo in the gut, and then I knocked you out with the Tetsuaiga."

'_Well that would explain my headache_,' InuYasha thought. '_Wait, hold on-!!_"

"The Tetsuaiga?!" he yelled, staring at Chiyo. "How the hell did you-"

"Honestly InuYasha, I've got no ruddy clue how the hell I managed to do it," Chiyo answered before he even finished the question. "I pulled it out of its sheath in an incredibly amazing stroke of luck, and it transformed in my hands."

InuYasha gaped at her, his eyes as wide as dinner plates. Chiyo internally sighed, grateful the conversation had taking a slightly lighter turn. "Hey," she reasoned, "it's not like you're the only one able to do it. Sesshomaru can do it, and your dad was the first one to master it. It ain't a one-man show. Or in this case, one-woman," she quickly added.

InuYasha raised his eyebrows, and was about to ask Chiyo how she knew about his father before he again remembered she knew practically everything about him. It creeped him out for her to know so much about him just when he'd only met her so soon. Of course, he'd never admit that.

"So," he said, trying to regain his composure, "did I injure anyone else?"

"No way!" Chiyo immediately said.

"Of course not!" Kagome piped up. InuYasha looked at them for a moment, then he relaxed, confident they were being honest. "Well then, Chiyo…" he began, and he tossed around the idea of apologizing to her in his mind.

"Yeah?" Chiyo said expectantly, when he trailed off. Kagome looked at him, and he looked down, an irritated look on his face. '_Damn, why do girls have to stare so much?_' he thought. "Chiyo," he said, "I'm sor-"

Suddenly a loud beeping sound pierced the air; it came from Chiyo's camera, notifying her it was running out of battery. Unfortunately that camera was placed right next to InuYasha, and he jumped around three metres in the air before turning around and slamming his fist down onto the camera. Kagome and Chiyo jumped as well, and there was a shattering sound as the camera cracked and broke into a hundred tiny pieces. There was silence.

A second later Miroku, Sango, and Kirara entered the hut, back from helping the villagers slay the demon. Before they could say anything Chiyo shrieked and went to run over to her now demolished camera, only to fall flat on her face as she tangled herself up in her blanket. Kagome yelled at InuYasha, who still looked scared out of his mind. Miroku and Sango watched in stunned silence as an angry Kagome told a terrified InuYasha to sit, and a flustered-looking Chiyo trying to crawl over to her camera. "Well now," Miroku said to Sango, "it seems everything is quite back to normal." Sango nodded in agreement.

* * *

The next day, Chiyo's wounds had healed enough so that she could easily stand up and walk around. The fact that they'd healed so quickly had astonished her; if she'd been injured like that in the real world it would have been at least two weeks for her to get out of the hospital. Plus she would have earned herself several nasty scars - but her skin was as perfect as ever.

Chiyo followed InuYasha, Kagome and everyone else through the forest outside the village until they arrived at the Bone Eater's well. She was a little bit annoyed about how fast they were able to find it, which just proved that Chiyo had no sense of direction at all when she'd tried to find InuYasha (note: see chapter 4). InuYasha was still badly injured – Kikyo's arrow wound would take a lot more time to heal then Chiyo's injuries – so he was limping, taking support by putting his arms around Kagome and Sango's shoulders. They stopped right before the well's edge, and InuYasha sunk onto the ground, leaning against the wood. "Well," Kagome said, brushing dirt off her top, "we'll be heading off now."

"I still don't see why I have to come with you," InuYasha grumbled.

"Because," Kagome said exasperatingly, "for the last time, your wounds are too serious to be treated here. You need to get some proper treatment in my world. Isn't that right, Chiyo?" she asked, turning to her.

Chiyo nodded. "The medicine here isn't quite up to healing that whopper of a wound you've got," she said. "You really need more care than this. Trust us."

InuYasha looked irritated, but he didn't say anything back, so Kagome helped him up and onto the side of the well. "We'll see you guys soon, kay?" Kagome called, smiling at everyone. The group said their quick farewells, then both Kagome and InuYasha jumped into the well. There was a small flash of light from the depths of the well, then silence indicated that the two had passed through. Everyone stared at the well for a few more seconds, then Sango sighed. "Well I guess we should be heading back now," she said, turning to leave. Chiyo nodded, and Shippo jumped onto her shoulder. "Hey Chiyo,' he asked her, "are you sure you're alright to walk back? With your injuries and all."

Chiyo smiled at him. "I think I'll manage," she told him. She turned around to leave as well, but started as she saw Miroku standing right behind her.

"Why Chiyo," he said, smiling at her. "Like Shippo said, we can't have you running around when you're injured like this." He turned around and knelt down. "You should hop on my back, and I will gladly carry you back to the village!"

Chiyo looked down and spied Miroku's groping hands placed precisely where her behind might be if she did get on his back. She grimaced and took a small step back. "Uh…" she stalled, "um…I think I'll be okay to walk back Miro-"

SMACK!

Miroku was suddenly lying unconscious on the grassy floor. Chiyo wisely jumped back when she saw a ferocious-looking Sango standing there with a Hiraikotsu.

"Perverted idiot," she growled, and Chiyo shivered. "Is there blood on her Hiraikotsu?" Shippo whispered nervously. "I only pray it's from a demon," Chiyo whispered back, and Shippo gulped.

Sango's expression abruptly changed from one of fury to one of confusion as she looked at something behind Chiyo. Chiyo blinked, then she turned around and saw what she was looking at – the well was lighting up again. The light quickly vanished, and suddenly a panic-stricken Kagome appeared, climbing out of the well. Chiyo and Sango quickly ran to the side of the well, helping her up. Chiyo saw InuYasha behind her, so she pulled him out too. "What happened to you two?" Shippo asked, hopping off Chiyo's shoulder. Kagome sunk down onto the grass, her face covered with shock. InuYasha lay down, and Chiyo saw a large bald lump on his head that hadn't been there before.

"Kagome?" Sang knelt down beside her, looking worried. "Kagome, are you okay? Did something happen?"

"InuYasha can't come back to my world," Kagome said, shaking her head.

"Huh?" Miroku asked (he's finally come to). "Why's that?"

"Yuka, Eri and Ayume were there!" she exclaimed, covering her head in her hands.

"Who?" Shippo asked. Chiyo sucked in a sharp breath, and everyone looked at her. "Your friends were there?" she yelled, now understanding why Kagome was in a panic. "Holy moly, did they see InuYasha?!"

"No, thank god," Kagome said, her voice muffled by her hands. "But it was so close!"

"She. Kicked. Me." InuYasha suddenly said, sounding really ticked off. "She kicked me in the face before I came up." Chiyo noted the anger mark that appeared on his head.

"So then what?" she asked, and Kagome took her hands off her face. "Well," she said, "I came up through the well, and my friends were talking to Grandpa and Sota outside the shrine. Sota saw me, and he distracted them so I could try and sneak past them. But then that idiot over there," she growled, shooting a evil look at InuYasha, "stared yelling at me to hurry up and get out of the well. I kicked him back down and jumped down myself right before my friends saw us."

"Well how the hell was I supposed to know your dumb friends were there?!" InuYasha yelled at her. Kagome just groaned as an answer. Chiyo frowned, thinking.

"So where can InuYasha go now?" Miroku asked. "If he can't heal in your world, it's going to take him weeks to recover here."

"I have an idea," Chiyo said. Everyone looked over to her. "But…it'll be hard to pull off."

"What is it?" Sango asked. Chiyo eyed InuYasha, who glared back. "You are going to have to co-operate big time with me if you want to heal," she said to him sternly. "Keh!" InuYasha said, rolling his eyes. "And why is that?"

* * *

"I still think this is a bad idea," Kagome said worryingly. "A really, really, _really_ bad idea."

"Look Kagome," Chiyo reasoned with her, "you're going to have to trust me."

"I do trust you Chiyo, it's InuYasha I'm sceptical about."

Chiyo sighed, but she secretly agreed with Kagome. InuYasha was leaning on her shoulders, and right in front of them, the portal to Chiyo's world stood shimmering.

"So you're sure your world has the same sort of medicine Kagome's does?" Miroku asked again. Chiyo nodded. "Well, I guess we should get going," Chiyo said, and she and InuYasha stepped (or in InuYasha's case, limped) towards the portal. "We'll see you soon, okay?" Everyone nodded, but they all looked worried. "Don't I get a say in where I'm going at all?" InuYasha growled.

"Nope," Chiyo replied, facing the portal. She took a deep breath, then she bent her knees and jumped in, InuYasha close behind. Bracing herself for the vertigo feeling this time helped a lot; she didn't even need to close her eyes this time. As she tumbled through the air, she caught sight of her kimono changing colour and shape, into the tracksuit she'd been wearing right before she'd returned to the Feudal Era. She saw her fingernails shrink back to their normal size, and her hair become shorter by the second. It was a little creepy watching herself change like that, but also strangely intriguing. She saw out of the corner of her eye InuYasha falling beside her, and nearly burst out laughing when she saw his face was green and he had his eyes shut tight. A few seconds later Chiyo saw a small hole of white light below her, and it expanded as they fell closer and closer towards it. Suddenly they fell through the hole, and the next thing Chiyo knew her surroundings changed and she saw the upstairs of her own house before her. A split-second past before she realized she was flying through the air, and she abruptly regained her centre of gravity and plummeted down onto the carpet. InuYasha landed right next to her, and they lay there, temporarily winded. Chiyo couldn't believe that the portal had worked a second time, and she couldn't help grinning to herself.

A startled yell made her jump out of her thoughts, and she and InuYasha sat up instantly. Chiyo's mouth dropped open as she saw her little brother Kyon gawking in both awe and fear at her and InuYasha. She'd completely forgotten he was here, and at first all of them just stared at each other in silence. Then InuYasha slowly leaned over to Chiyo and whispered, "Chiyo, who the hell is this kid?"

Chiyo snapped her mouth shut, and if she'd still been in the Feudal Era, she would have sweatdropped. "Kyon," she said, clearing her throat, "I want you to meet InuYasha. InuYasha, meet Kyon, my little brother." Chiyo grinned awkwardly, but Kyon's shocked expression didn't change. InuYasha was tense beside her, and he seemed wary of Kyon.

"So Kyon," Chiyo said, "instead of bringing you back a picture, I thought I'd bring you back the real thing! Cool, huh?" Chiyo tried to joke about it, but Kyon obviously didn't find it funny.

"S-s-sis…" Kyon stammered, pointing at InuYasha, "th-th-tha…th-that's…"

"What's his problem?" InuYasha said, raising an eyebrow. Chiyo shook her head. "Kyon," she said, trying to keep her voice calm, "I thought I already told you about InuYasha. Didn't you believe me when I told you I'd met him?"

Kyon gulped. "Y-yeah," he said, "b-but still! It's just…just…a-amazing!!"

"Eh?" InuYasha said, blinking. "Chiyo, does this kid know about me too?"

Chiyo nodded, and InuYasha looked dumbfounded. '_First her, now this kid?!_' he thought. '_How many freakin' people know about me?_'

Kyon shook his head, trying to clear it. "Okay," he said, more to himself than Chiyo. "InuYasha's here. Nothing wrong with that. Just the fact that it's nearly impossible-"

"Kyon," Chiyo said, more serious now, "it's _not _impossible. So snap out of it before I get annoyed."

Kyon automatically straightened up at the tone of his sister's voice. "O-okay."

"Well now," Chiyo said, standing up. InuYasha eyed her. "Hey," he said, "you're not a half-demon now. You're-"

"Human?" Chiyo finished for him. "Yeah. I told you I wasn't really a half-demon."

InuYasha stared at her for a few more seconds, then he said, "And you're shorter too."

Chiyo glared at him. "Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious," she grumbled. "As if I don't get enough from Ookami…"

Suddenly, everyone froze as the sound of the front door opening alerted them. "Kyon," Chiyo whispered, "I thought you said Mum and Dad were out!"

"They are!" he whispered back. "They're not supposed to be back for another hour!"

"An hour?" Chiyo replied, starting to panic. "Then who could that-"

"I'm hoooooooooooooooooome!" a girl's voice called, and Chiyo froze. InuYasha stood up, wincing at his injuries. "Chiyo, who's that?" he whispered (he took the hint that he had to keep his voice down).

"Oh crap," Chiyo moaned as quietly as she could, covering her head in her hands. "Oh crap, crap, _crap_! This is _not_ good!"

"Who is it?" InuYasha hissed.

"Speak of the devil…" Chiyo said, raising her head. "It's Ookami!!"

* * *

**Laura:** Speak of the devil, here she is!

**Ookami:** I'm not the freakin devil!!

**Chiyo:** Yes you are.

**Ookami:** DIE! (jumps on Chiyo)

**Laura:** Kay, see you all soon! Mwahaha…

**Chiyo:** Help me!!


	9. Chapter 9: The Dog's outta the Closet

**Laura:** The ninth chapter has arrived!

**Chiyo:** And what's you excuse this time?

**Laura:** Well, I did break my toe recently…

**Everyone: **You WHAT?!

**Laura:** Heh heh, I was running towards my brother, and he turned around and stuck his leg out (accidently). I tripped over and then it broke!

**InuYasha:** Jeez, are you sure it was an accident? Your brother sounds pretty sleazy to me…

**Chiyo:** Aren't all brothers sleazy?

**Kyon:** HEY!

**Laura:** Anyway, on with the show!

* * *

**Chapter 9 – The Dog's outta the Closet**

_Suddenly, everyone froze as the sound of the front door opening alerted them. "Kyon," Chiyo whispered, "I thought you said Mum and Dad were out!"_

"_They are!" he whispered back. "They're not supposed to be back for another hour!"_

"_An hour?" Chiyo replied, starting to panic. "Then who could that-"_

"_I'm hoooooooooooooooooome!" a girl's voice called, and Chiyo froze. InuYasha stood up, wincing at his injuries. "Chiyo, who's that?" he whispered (he took the hint that he had to keep his voice down)._

"_Oh crap," Chiyo moaned as quietly as she could, covering her head in her hands. "Oh crap, crap, __crap__! This is __not__ good!"_

"_Who is it?" InuYasha hissed._

"_Speak of the devil…" Chiyo said, raising her head. "It's Ookami!!"_

_

* * *

_

"Ookami?" InuYasha whispered back, looking confused. "Who's that?"

"Oh Sis, what are we gonna do?!" Kyon interrupted, his face white. "We can't let Ookami find out he's here!"

"_He _has a name, kid," InuYasha growled at him. "And _he_ is also right here."

"Hide him," Chiyo said quietly. InuYasha glared at her. "Not you too!" he hissed. "My name is _InuYasha_! _I-nu-ya-_"

"Just hide, dammit!!" Chiyo growled at him, and he stopped at the look on Chiyo's reached out and grabbed onto InuYasha's wrist. InuYasha jerked and nearly tripped over as Kyon dragged him down the hallway leading to Chiyo's room. InuYasha looked back at Chiyo, a hundred questions in his eyes. Chiyo bit her lip, but she started as she heard a loud voice from downstairs.

"Is there anyone even here?!" Ookami yelled out, sounding slightly annoyed. Chiyo looked at InuYasha apologetically, then she turned and ran down the stairs.

"I-I'm here," she called, then she silently cursed when her voice sounded like a frog that's eaten sand for three months. Ookami's head popped out from behind the door to the kitchen, and she grinned at Chiyo. "Aha!" she cried triumphantly. "I knew someone was here."

"Y-yeah," Chiyo stammered.

"So," she said, trying to distract herself from the fact that a temperamental dog-boy was being hidden upstairs by her 9-year-old whiz kid of a brother. "What…what's with the 'I'm home' thing?"

Ookami laughed. "Well, I figured since I spend so much time here, I could make it my second home." Saying this, she grinned. Chiyo tried to grin back, but all she managed was a faint smile.

"So," Chiyo said, "what…what are you doing here?"

Ookami blinked, then frowned. "Honestly Tangles," she said sternly, "You'd think you've been on another planet for the past week or something."

Chiyo started, worrying at how close her suspicions were. "What'd you mean?" she asked nervously.

"I asked you yesterday if I could come over here and show you the awesome new DVD I got, hello!"

'_So I've been that spaced out?_' Chiyo thought shockingly. '_I can't believe I invited her over! Stupid, stupid, stupid…_'

"Uh, what DVD?" she asked, trying to ignore the freaking-out voice in her head.

"This one!" Ookami said excitedly, and, after a little rummaging in her bag she'd bought with her, she pulled out a DVD case. Chiyo made a noise that was somewhat between a gasp and a choke as she saw the cover.

"Is that…" Chiyo forced out, "is that…"

"InuYasha Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler!" Ookami exclaimed happily, as Chiyo stared in shock at the DVD.

'_Oh for crying out loud, why that one?!_' Chiyo thought pitifully. '_It couldn't be Sailor Moon or Pokémon or even that Fullmetal whats-it show?!_'

"W…wow," Chiyo said, her voice weak and alarmed. "That…that's really something…"

"Cool, isn't it?" Ookami said, flipping the case so she could look at the cover. "I found it in that pop culture shop in the city; you know, Centaur? It was the last copy they had, plus they were having a sale! How lucky's that? I got the thing for half its usual price and…"

Chiyo stared at the DVD, unaware of her friend's ramblings. '_How the hell am I supposed to watch that and keep a straight face? And what happens if InuYasha hears it from upstairs?! Holy moly, how do I get myself into these situations…_'

"Chiyo!!"

Chiyo jumped and snapped back into reality. "Yeah! What?" she automatically answered. Ookami sighed and rubbed her forehead. "What's wrong with you?" she said exasperatingly. "It's like everything you hear lately just flies by you. Is your brain broken or something?"

"Oh, shut up," Chiyo grumbled, as Ookami grinned at having recited her favourite insult (note: see InuYasha: Episode 7).

"C'mon, let's watch it!" Ookami shouted enthusiastically.

"Bu- wait!" Chiyo called, but it was too late; Ookami had already run back through the doorway and was heading towards the TV in the lounge room. Chiyo sighed, and she looked upstairs. '_I'll need a miracle to get through this mess,_' she thought hopelessly. '_Just stay hidden, InuYasha…_'

Chiyo heard the sound of the DVD player starting up, and Ookami opening the food cupboard.

"Hey Chiyo, got any licorice?" Ookami called, and Chiyo forced herself to walk into the room.

"Yeah, I- I think so…"

* * *

"Hey, kid!"

Kyon frowned as he turned back to InuYasha. "If you keep calling you kid, then I'll start calling you Sesshomaru," he growled at him. InuYasha's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "You…you…you…!!" he choked out. Kyon turned back to look over the banister again. "What is it?" he asked, not looking at InuYasha.

After a few seconds of InuYasha composing himself, he asked, "Do you know when Chiyo's coming back up?"

Kyon sighed. "No, I don't," he said, sounding annoyed. "Her friend that's here, Ookami, has a tendency to talk for an incredibly long time. It could be hours before she decides to leave."

InuYasha growled under his breath, slumping down onto the floor. "Damn, girls are so stupid sometimes," he muttered angrily.

"Tell me about it," Kyon agreed, resting his head on the hand rail." Kyon agreed, resting his head on the hand rail. InuYasha leaned his head back against the wall of the narrow hallway he was being 'hidden' in. It was silent for a while as they both waited for any sign that Ookami might be leaving.

'_Damn, why am I the one who always has to hide?_' InuYasha thought impatiently. '_I thought coming over to Chiyo's world would mean I wouldn't have to!_'

'_Dang, why am I the one who's always drawn into Sis' problems?_' Kyon thought irritably. '_I thought having InuYasha here would be cool, not problematic!_'

Both boys suddenly jumped as a loud crashing sound from downstairs broke the silence. This was followed by an excited Ookami yelling, "Wow, this surround sound is awesome!!"

"What was that?" InuYasha said warily, quickly standing up.

"Nothing," Kyon said, gesturing for InuYasha to sit back down. "It's just them watching a movie."

"A moo…what?" InuYasha said, staring at Kyon. Kyon had to bite his tongue to stop himself from laughing at InuYasha's expression.  
"Doesn't matter," Kyon told him, looking away before he burst out laughing. InuYasha stared at him for a while longer, but he soon sat back down.

"WIND SCAR!!"

The second he sat back down, InuYasha jumped straight back up. "What the hell?!" he yelled, then was bowled over as Kyon tackled him onto the ground. "Shhh, you idiot!!" Kyon hissed at him under his breath. "You're gonna make them come up here!"

"Get off me, kid!" InuYasha growled, but his scowl disappeared when Kyon glared daggers at him.

"My. Name. Is. Not. _Kid_," Kyon said in a dangerous voice. "It's Kyon. K-Y-O-N, _Kyon_. Got it?"

InuYasha nodded silently. 'This kid- no, _Kyon_, scares me,' he thought, backing up as Kyon got off of him. 'But,' InuYasha thought as he sat back up, '_I swear I just heard someone yell out Wind Scar down those stairs. Someone that sounded like me!_'

* * *

_Downstairs…_

"WIND SCAR!!"

The InuYasha on the screen thrust his sword down in one strong swing and the blinding yellow attack raced across the ground.

"How cool was that?!" Ookami cried out, turning to Chiyo.

'_It's better in real life_,' Chiyo thought. '_And scarier_.'

"Yeah, it's awesome alright!" Chiyo said in the most enthusiastic voice she could conjure up.

"What the hell?!"

Chiyo started as she heard the yell of InuYasha, but not the digital one on the screen; the _real_ one. Then there was a loud thud above her from upstairs, and she gripped the pillow she was holding so tightly it might have burst into a fountain of fluff.

"If I'd said it once, I'll say it again," Ookami said beside her, "this surround sound you have is awesome! It's like the whole movie's actually happening in your house!"

Chiyo blinked once, then followed along. "Oh-oh yeah! It's great alright!" she exclaimed, loosening her vice grip on the cushion. '_Phew_,' she thought, relieved. '_I'm actually glad we're watching InuYasha now. Thank the Lord it wasn't that Fullmetal-whatever show, or we would've been caught out!_'

* * *

_Back Upstairs…_

"Dammit! Hurry up, Chiyo!"

InuYasha was about ten times more impatient than usual, having sat on his butt for over an hour doing nothing. "This is insane! How long does she plan on making us wait?!"

"It won't be long now," Kyon replied, but he was just as irritated as InuYasha. '_If she doesn't get Ookami outta here the second the movie's done, I'm gonna take all her anime DVDs, break them down, and use the discs as spare parts for my robotics!_'

Kyon looked up as he saw InuYasha's ears twitch and perk up. "What is it?" he asked, as InuYasha stood up.

"Someone's outside," he said, and not a second later did the doorbell ring. Kyon looked over the banister and groaned. "Who's there?" InuYasha asked, but Kyon pushed him back before he could look.

"It's my parents," he answered, looking stressed and afraid at the same time. "Dang, we're dead! Dead, dead, dead, dead, _dead_…"

"What'd ya mean, dead?" InuYasha asked warily. "They're not demons, are they?"

"Not yet," Kyon replied, "but let's just pray they don't see you."

'_Why, dammit?!_' InuYasha cursed. '_Why is it always me that's the problem?!_'

"WHAT'S THAT, OOKAMI?" a loud voice shouted from downstairs. "YOU WANT TO GO UPSTAIRS TO MY ROOM?"

Kyon and InuYasha froze.

"Was that…?" InuYasha started to whisper, but Kyon pushed him so hard he nearly fell over.

"Quick, move it!!" Kyon ordered, panic rising in his stomach. "Sis' warning us, we gotta hide you!!"

"But isn't this Chiyo's room?" InuYasha asked, pointing to the closed door at the end of the hallway that Kyon was pushing him towards. "Didn't she just yell that she was coming in here?!"

"There's no time, just go!!" Kyon hissed, as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. InuYasha fumbled with the door handle as Kyon turned around to check the girls weren't behind him. They weren't – not yet. Kyon heard the door click open, and he stepped forward. "Okay InuYasha, get inside the wardr-"

Kyon was cut short as he smacked into the back of InuYasha.

"Ow!" he exclaimed, rubbing his nose. "What do you think you're doing, stopping suddenly like that?"

Kyon stopped ranting at him when he saw the expression on InuYasha's face. He looked terrified, and his eyebrow was twitching. "Wha…what is it…?" Kyon asked. InuYasha slowly raised one shaking finger and pointed into Chiyo's room. Kyon turned and looked as well, and he let out a long groan.

All over the room, there was InuYasha.

Countless posters of the cast, with a fair few depicting InuYasha holding his giant sword, covered every spare inch of the walls. InuYasha manga books were spread out all over the floor. About five DVD box sets were all stacked on top of each other in one corner of the room. Plushies of every character in the show were lined up on the floor, leaning against the wall. Small figurines stood upon stands on a bedside table, all in different battle positions. A huge bedspread of an angry looking InuYasha attacking with Iron Reaver Soul Stealer was draped over the bed. To top it all off, a small beanie with InuYasha ears on it was hanging off the bottom bedpost.

InuYasha twitched, and a gurgling sound escaped his throat. Kyon gulped, and was just about to comfort InuYasha somehow when he heard voices.

"How cool was the movie?"

"Y-yeah, it was cool alright…"

"Nn-gah!" was all Kyon could say, and he grabbed the stricken InuYasha and dragged him across the room, flinging open Chiyo's wardrobe. "I'm sorry InuYasha, we'll explain later!" he whispered, and shoved the bewildered half demon inside, slamming the door just as Chiyo and Ookami walked in. The two girls froze when they saw him. Ookami blinked, and Chiyo stared at him desperately. Kyon stared right back, wishing he could tell her InuYasha was hiding in her closet.

"Kyon!" Ookami said, surprised. "I didn't know you were here!"

It took Kyon a while to remember how to speak. "Uh, yeah, I am," he struggled to say. It was silent for a moment longer, then Kyon ran past the two teens. "See ya!" he called, running down the hallway. Ookami and Chiyo blinked as he turned and disappeared from their sight. "Well that was strange," Ookami commented, then she shrugged and plonked down onto the carpet. Chiyo stared down the hallway a little longer, wishing she could follow Kyon, but she sighed, closed the door, and sat down cross-legged on the floor as well.

"So, what would you rate the movie?" Ookami asked eagerly. Chiyo paused before answering.

"Ten out of ten," she said, attempting a smile. "You?"

"Eleven," Ookami answered immediately, flashing a grin.

"What, out of a hundred?" Chiyo joked, and Ookami snorted. Chiyo's smiled faded, and she rested her head on her hands. '_I wonder where Kyon hid him…_' she wondered worryingly, as Ookami rambled on about the scene where Sesshomaru, InuYasha and the sword Sounga had versed at the end.

InuYasha stared in shock at the two girls through a tiny crack in the wardrobe door. Chiyo looked worried and only spoke when she needed to, but the other girl was chatting like crazy and had a weird grin on her face. She was taller than Chiyo and had slightly longer hair, but instead of a dark brown, it was a lighter brown and had small blond flecks running through it. Her skin was a tad darker than a normal tan, which was very unlike Chiyo's pale white skin. '_This must be the dreaded Ookami,_' InuYasha thought nervously. '_She looks a lot different to Kagome's friends…_'

InuYasha leaned back in the wardrobe as quietly as he could, then frowned. He felt like he was sitting on something, and it was uncomfortable. He reached underneath him and pulled out something, then strangled a choke as he saw he had been leaning on a thing Kagome had called an alarm clock; only it had his face on it. He quickly pushed the thing away from him onto the other side of the wardrobe, trying to calm himself down. '_Quiet down, dammit,_' he told himself, leaning back again. '_If you get caught, Chiyo's gonna _kill_ you…_'

As InuYasha leaned back, he didn't realize there was another thing in the cramped closet behind him. It was Chiyo's electric hairdryer, and he sat back right on the 'ON' switch.

**VVROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM-EEEEEEEEEEE!!**

"**UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!**"

Both girls jumped violently as a loud whirring noise plus freaked out screams filled the bedroom. Not a second later did the wardrobe door slam open, and InuYasha fell out with a loud thud.

"WHAT THE HELL IS IT?!" InuYasha screamed, flustering on the floor like a fish out of water. "GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!!"

Chiyo gasped, and then she saw the hairdryer, spinning on the floor in circles as the air propelled it around and around. She pounced onto it and flicked the switch, and the whirring sound died down swiftly. InuYasha scrambled up, and then both his and Chiyo's heads span around to Ookami as she screamed.

"**HOLY **_**SHIT**_!!" she shouted, backing into the nearest wall. "CHIYO, WHY THE HELL IS THERE A _COSPLAYER_ IN YOUR ROOM?!"

Chiyo and InuYasha's mouths dropped open, and Chiyo stared at her. For a few seconds the room was silent, then Chiyo flung her head into her hands.

"You idiot!!" a muffled cry came from her. "Oh my god, are you _that _stupid?!"

Ookami didn't have time to answer as the door to Chiyo's room was suddenly flung open, and Chiyo's parents Shugoto and Kana ran in.

"What's going o-" both of them exclaimed, but they stopped when they saw InuYasha. A second past, then Kana screamed. Ookami and Shugoto started yelling things, but no one could hear over the screaming. Chiyo tried shouting over the chaos and telling everyone to just calm down, but it was a pathetic attempt. Kyon ran in at the instant and his mouth dropped open as he stared at the freaking out crowd in Chiyo's room. Shugoto suddenly grabbed a wire coat hanger Chiyo had left on the floor of her room and pointed it at InuYasha, threatening to stab him with it if he didn't get out right now. InuYasha made a sound like 'keh!' and stood up, drawing out his Tetsuaiga, which amazingly transformed in his hands. Ookami's mouth opened so wide you could fit a watermelon in it, and Kana screamed even louder. Chiyo started yelling at InuYasha to put his sword away, but he wouldn't listen. Kyon finally pushed past his parents and ran up to Chiyo. He grabbed her arm and yelled at her to stay still, then he started pushing countless amounts of buttons on the watch on her wrist. Suddenly it flashed a blue light twice, then a long line of blue electric sparks zoomed out of it, hitting Shugoto, Kana and InuYasha. In an instant all their muscles tensed and cramped up, and all three of them fell onto the floor with a thud. Ookami gave a short gasp, and Chiyo gaped at Kyon.

"What the hell did you just do to them?!" she yelled at him.

"Relax, Sis!" he reassured her, holding his hands up in front of him. "It's just a minor voltage current, it paralyzes people for a minimal quantity of time and it reduces in approximately-"

"ENGLISH, Kyon, ENGLISH!" Chiyo exclaimed, glaring at him. Kyon rubbed his temples.

"Jeez, okay! It freezes them for a little while! They're just paralyzed temporarily, it's nothing to worry about! They'll be fine again in about five minutes."

Chiyo continued to stare at him. "And how the heck did you figure that out?" she asked, looking amazed.

Kyon smiled devilishly. "You think I did nothing but stare at the watch when you let me see it? C'mon, give me a little credit Sis."

Chiyo blinked, then she smiled. "You're right," she managed to say, "I should be expecting more of a little genius like yourself."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he mumbled sheepishly, "just as long as you don't go telling anyone at school."

"Would someone please tell me what the **hell** is going on here?!"

Chiyo froze as her friend's voice cut through her rare heart-to-heart chat with her brother, and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Please, please, _please _let this go well," she muttered under her breath, then she opened her eyes and turned to face Ookami.

"Okay," Chiyo said, breathing in slowly. Ookami, pushed up as far against the wall as she could, stared at her friend.

"Ookami, I need to tell you something," Chiyo said slowly. Ookami looked at her, then her eyes flickered to the frozen InuYasha and parents on the floor. "You bet my ass you do," she said, shaking her head.

"Yeah," Chiyo sighed. "I've been really spaced out lately, and I'm sorry for that. But it's because…"

Ookami looked at her expectantly. "Yeah, because of what?"

"Well…"

"Yes?"

"I, um, have sorta been…uh…"

"Chiyo, for the love of God, say it!"

"I've been in the Feudal Era!!" Chiyo blurted out, hanging her head down. She waited in silence for Ookami's reaction. The seconds ticked by. Still, silence.

'Why isn't she saying anything?' Chiyo wondered. She looked up, and Ookami was staring at her again; but not in fear or confusion anymore. It was more a thoughtful look.

"What?" Chiyo said, surprised. "Is that it?"

"The Feudal Era?" Ookami repeated, finally speaking.

"Yeah," Chiyo said, not looking her in the eye. "I've…I've met all the characters from InuYasha there and everything. And _he_," she added, pointing to the paralyzed half demon on the floor, "is not a cosplayer."

Ookami looked over the frozen InuYasha. "You mean, he's the real thing?" she asked, her voice blunt.

"Yep," Chiyo answered, eying Ookami. She was utterly confused. '_Why isn't she freaking out?_' she wondered. '_How is she so calm all of a sudden? Does she even believe me?_'

"Chiyo," Ookami said, and Chiyo finally looked at her properly. Ookami's face was serious. "Y-yeah?" she answered weakly. Ookami was still for a moment longer, and the two friends had a sorta unannounced stare-off. Finally Ookami sighed, then smiled. "I know you well enough to tell when you're lying, cause you suck at it," she told her. "I knew there was something up with you for ages, and you weren't telling me. But I never thought it would be something like _this_!"

"Wait, you're saying you believe me?!" Chiyo gasped, her eyes widening.

"Well, the evidence is right in front of me," Ookami replied, gesturing to InuYasha. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, even I wouldn't believe me!" Chiyo exclaimed, and she dropped onto the floor in shock. Ookami grinned, then she stared at InuYasha.

"But if he's here," she asked seriously, "then where is everyone else?"

"Back in the Feudal Era," Chiyo replied, feeling faint. "He's here cause he's badly injured and needed a place to stay."

"Really?" Ookami asked. "That's so cool!"

Kyon stared at Ookami. '_Wait, so she's fine with having InuYasha right in front of her?!_' he thought bewilderedly. '_I'm gonna kill Sis, I went through all that trouble of hiding him for nothing!!_'

Suddenly, InuYasha twitched, then he gave a loud gasp. His muscles relaxed, and he sat up with a jerk. Ookami gaped at him excitedly, and he rubbed his head. Then, when he saw Kyon, he scowled. "Kid, I'm gonna kill you!" he growled. "What the hell did you do that for?!"

Something silver suddenly flew through the air and collided with InuYasha's head. He yelped in pain and fell back onto the floor again, clutching his forehead.

"_I told you before, my name is Kyon_," Kyon growled, picking up his screwdriver he had thrown at InuYasha. InuYasha nodded, muttering an apology before Kyon had a chance to throw it at him again.

"Hey Kyon," Chiyo asked, "if InuYasha's up, does that mean…"

"Mum and Dad will be up soon," Kyon finished for her, nodding. Chiyo groaned.

"Let's just pray they'll be as understanding as you, Ookami," she sighed, but Ookami wasn't listening.

"Hey, InuYasha!" she said excitedly. InuYasha responded with a grunt, still rubbing his brow.

"Can I play with your Tetsuaiga?"

* * *

**Laura: **Wow, Ookami's pretty quick to recover.

**Ookami:** What did you expect me to do, attack InuYasha?

**Chiyo: **That would've been funnier.

**Ookami:** Well at least he didn't try to kill me when I met him.

**Chiyo:** Hey! That wasn't my fault, it was Laura's! She's the idiotic author!

**Laura:** Read the Omake, peoples!

* * *

_Omake_

**VVROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM-EEEEEEEEEEE!!**

"**UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!**"

Both girls jumped violently as a loud whirring noise plus freaked out screams filled the bedroom. Not a second later did the wardrobe door slam open, and InuYasha fell out with a loud thud.

"Chiyo, what is that?!" Ookami cried.

"Well, don't you know Ookami?" Chiyo replied, a cheesy grin covering her face. "It's the brand new Inu-In-Your-Closet!"

"The brand new Inu-In-Your-Closet?" Ookami repeated, her hands flying to her cheeks. "Wow! What does it do?"

"The new Inu-In-Your-Closet is perfect for someone with a wardrobe in need of a spice up!" Chiyo replied, mysteriously having changed into a smexy dress. "It sits in there all day, doing nothing but looking good!"

"Really?" Ookami asked, her voice rising an octave at the end. "Wow! I want one of these Inu-In-Your-Closets!"

"Of course you do!" Chiyo replied, flashing her teeth like the people on toothpaste adds. "Everyone does!"

"I don't wanna be sold like some toy!!" InuYasha yelled at her.

"And if your Inu-In-Your-Closet misbehaves," Chiyo continued, "Just say the magic word!"

"SIT!!" came a chorus of voices out of nowhere. InuYasha slammed onto the carpet, shaking the whole room.

"Buy one today!" Chiyo and Ookami cried together, grinning for the audience one last time. A wave of applause from a newly arrived audience engulfed the room.

"Help me…" the muffled voice of InuYasha groaned.

**(Note: Inu-In-Your-Closet was immediately prohibited from sale upon release due to the RSPCHD ((The Royal Society of Protection of Cruelty to Half Demons)) suing the company because of unfair treatings of the product.)**


	10. Chapter 10: The toaster's NOT your enemy

Laura: A hahaha!! (twitches)

Chiyo: Laura, why are you cutting your wrists?!

InuYasha: She's finally lost it.

Kagome: She's gotten all crazy over the fact that she hasn't updated this fanfic in _over five months_.

Chiyo: But shouldn't we stop her or something?!

InuYasha: Her loss is my gain. She ain't annoying me with stupid comments anymore, so just leave her be.

Laura: Hahaha! Look at all the blood!! (faints)

Chiyo: Holy crap!!

Ookami: On with the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Toaster is _not_ your enemy (but the fangirls are...)**

**Hey, random note: This fanfic will be a year old this Tuesday! Go celebrate by stuffing your head in an InuYasha pillow or something...X3**

"So, what next, I wonder."

Kagura watched Naraku from the doorway with a frown, as he sat silently in the middle of the large, empty room. He made no sound, nor did he move. Kagura waited expectantly for another order, a taunt, or even a tantrum from her arrogant master. Nothing. She continued to wait, leaning in the doorway and impatiently tapping her fan against her leg.

Finally Naraku looked over to her, his face serious. He raised and extended his arm towards her, and Kagura tensed, half-expecting him to attack her or something. But he merely began to rotate his wrist in a circular motion slowly, and Kagura frowned.

'_What is he doing?_' she wondered, watching his continually-spinning wrist with confusion. Her unspoken question was soon answered, though, as a small ball of dark, purple energy began to expand out of the nothingness of the air. Kagura stared as the quivering ball grew larger, until it was roughly the size of Naraku's hand. Abruptly Naraku stopped his hand movement, leaving the dark energy hovering above his palm.

"Take this," Naraku said, and Kagura looked back to him. His voice was quiet, and yet he still managed to sound firm and ordering. Kagura watched as the purple-black ball began to float off his hand and towards her. The ball crossed the room, and she raised her hands and slowly drew it back once it was close enough, leaving it to levitate quietly in front of her.

"Take it," Naraku continued, lowering his arm, "and inject it in the first weak demon you find."

Kagura remained quiet, waiting for the next part if the order. Naraku glanced over to her, scowling. "Do it now," he said, dangerously quiet. "Go."

Kagura blinked, unbelieving. "That's all you want me to do?" she asked, stunned and slightly annoyed. "What will happen then?"

"The rest will take care of itself," Naraku replied, looking away again. Kagura stared at him for a few more seconds, then 'tched' and spun around, leaving the room and closing the sliding door.

"Soon," Naraku said to himself, "very soon...it should all fall in place."

* * *

Chiyo started as something vibrated under her hand and a loud ringing noise filled the room. Her eyes snapped open, and she sat up abruptly. '_Did I fall asleep?_' she thought, looking around her bedroom as if to find an answer from there. Another loud ring made her jump, and she realized it was her mobile phone. Chiyo looked around on her bed for her phone, which she had knocked with her hand as she had sprung up. She peered over the edge of her mattress and saw the small but loud flashing mobile quivering on the floor as it continued to ring. She quickly grabbed it and answered.

"Yo?" she said into the receiver, still half asleep and rubbing her eyelids.

"_Yo!_" an excited voice replied, and Chiyo resisted the urge to sigh. "Hi, Ookami," she said, rolling her half-closed eyes and laying back onto her pillows. "What's u-"

"_The sky_," Ookami cut in; her automatic answer for whenever Chiyo asked her what was 'up.' "_How's InuYasha?_"

'_Here we go_,' Chiyo thought exasperatingly, rubbing her temples. "InuYasha?" she repeated, pretending to be surprised she asked. "He's…"

Chiyo paused, thinking about how InuYasha had 'been' in the past half day since Ookami last had called.

* * *

"_So this is the 'kom-pyu-tah' thing you were talking about?" InuYasha asked, peering at the flashing screen so hard Chiyo was sure he'd give himself a seizure in less than a minute._

"_Yup," she answered, double-clicking on the internet icon. "Do you wanna see how I know so much about you guys?" she added, grinning up at him._

_InuYasha raised one eyebrow sceptically. "Bring it," he dared, as Chiyo typed in the web address for 'YouTube' in the URL bar. InuYasha blinked as the screen changed, and Chiyo searched 'inuyasha eps.' InuYasha twitched as his and numerous other familiar faces popped up on the screen._

"_Okay," Chiyo muttered to herself, scrolling down and sifting through the episode list. "Let's see…oh! This one…!" she exclaimed, selecting one of the episodes. The screen turned black, with a small timer spinning in the middle. After a few seconds of staring at the blank screen, a picture suddenly emerged from the black._

"_SIT BOY!!"__ a particularly angry girl's voice cried. InuYasha automatically cringed and scrunched his eyes shut, and he heard a loud crash. It was a few seconds before he realized he was still standing upright, and his eyes shot open. Instead of seeing black and having his face planted in the ground like usual, he only saw Chiyo grinning like the idiot she was and the 'kom-pyu-tah' thing showing moving pictures. He made a choking sound as he saw himself on the screen, slowly and painfully trying to upright himself from the 'sit' position._

"_Why you-!"__ the screen-him growled at screen-Kagome, who was walking away in a priestess gown and spinning the little pouch containing the Shikon Jewel shards around her finger._

"_My name isn't you,"__ screen-Kagome answered. __"It's Kagome."_

"_But that was--!!" real-Inuyasha gasped, then trailed off, unable to focus on anything but the screen-him struggling to stand. 'But that was me and her ages ago!' he thought. 'It was when we had only met for a day at most! How the hell did she...'_

"_Told ya!" Chiyo laughed, her grin becoming so large it looked like she'd need another face if it got any bigger. "Wanna see another?" she asked gleefully, and, without waiting for an answer, clicked on another thumbnail. The screen temporarily went black, and then;_

_"...Kagome...I'm sorry, about what happened. I wasn't there for you."_

_InuYasha's face went whiter than his hair._

_"...it's okay. Really."_

_"It is not okay! I let you get into serious danger!"_

"_MAKE THIS STOP __**NOW**__!!" InuYasha practically squealed, and he lunged for the computer. Before Chiyo could even start to protest, his hand went through the computer screen in his desperate attempt to cover up his recent mushy moment with Kagome. He then yelped and jumped back as sparks flew out from the computer screen, clutching his hand. Chiyo fell off her chair backwards as the computer made a few loud whirring sounds, then died. InuYasha started as Chiyo slowly got up. They both stared at the busted screen, InuYasha with shock, Chiyo with a very blank face. Both of them winced as a piece of cracked glass fell onto the desk with a clatter._

"_My dad..." Chiyo said finally, and very quietly, "is going to __**kill**__ me."_

_..._

"_Okay, this is a basketball."_

"_A what ball?"_

"_A Basketball, InuYasha, a basketball."_

_Kyon spun the ball absentmindedly around his palm, as InuYasha stared at it with his eyebrows raised._

"_And that," Kyon continued, pointing upwards to his left, " is a basketball ring."_

_InuYasha glanced up briefly at the tall post, noting the weird-looking structure with a net at the top._

"_And what the hell am I supposed to do with these things?" InuYasha asked, looking back to Kyon._

"_You take the ball," Kyon explained, turning towards the ring, "dribble it," he continued, bouncing the ball by his side a couple of times, "and then shoot for goal!" he finished, pushing the ball up towards the net, where it went down with a swooshing sound and bounced back onto the ground beneath. "Now you try!" he said, grabbing the ball and turning to InuYasha. InuYasha held his hands out ready, and Kyon tossed the ball to him._

"_Now, to shoot, you-" Kyon began, but was interrupted by a high airy sound. Both boys stared at the basketball, as air quickly whooshed out from the newly punctured holes in it, caused by InuYasha's claws. As the deflated ball increasingly began to resemble a pancake, ran over several times by a car, and maybe a steamroller, Kyon turned and picked something round and small up off the grass._

"_Okay, this is a cricket ball..."_

_

* * *

_

"He's...great," Chiyo said, grimacing.

"_What's he been up to?_"

"And it's nice to speak to you too," Chiyo snapped. "Honestly, am I only seen as a house keeper for your favourite character now?"

"_Pretty much_," Ookami replied immediately, and Chiyo could practically hear her grin. Chiyo sighed, running her hand down her face.

"Look, why don't you just come over yourself instead of calling me up every hour for a report-"

"_Alright, I'll be there in a minute!_" Ookami answered with anticipation.

"Hold on- wait! Just a...sec...damn it," Chiyo cursed under her breath, as Ookami had already hung up. She tossed the phone onto the ground and rubbed her throbbing head. InuYasha had been keeping her on her toes all day, every day for the past 4 days since he had arrived and announced himself oh-so-calmly to her family and Ookami. If her dad hadn't of been so awestruck by him as her mum had been terrified, then she'd be in more trouble than a turkey on Thanksgiving. Her dad seemed to have...'warmed up' to and accepted InuYasha (for lack of better word), but her mum had been avoiding him as much as possible. Although it had been funny, Chiyo admitted, when her mum had walked into the room and realized InuYasha was there, then smacked into the door cause she'd backed out so fast.

Chiyo heard the front door swing open from downstairs, and next her dad calling her to help unload the shopping. Chiyo slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed onto the floor, then trudged out of her room and downstairs to help.

"Yo," she answered in a monotone, flicking her hand up as an excuse for a wave to her dad and Kyon.

"Hey Sis," Kyon answered, not looking up from the fruit bag he was unpacking. Chiyo noted the extensive amount of Aspirin, bandages and other medical items they had purchased. She also cringed when she spied a new computer screen leaning against the bench.

"Hey, could you just put these in the back fridge Chiyo?" her dad asked, handing her a bag of milk cartons. Chiyo grunted as a reply and plodded out to the garage to put them away, very glad he hadn't mentioned the new computer. Her dad, realizing how tired she was, even let her go back upstairs after that.

Chiyo slumped up the stairs, her mind focused on sleep and only seeing half the world out of her half-closed eyes. It's a stupid idea, though, to walk up the stairs with blurred vision, so naturally Chiyo miscounted the steps and did a face-plant at the top. A sigh, muffled by the carpet, escaped her, and she tried to force her worn limbs to pick her up. But she realized she was actually quite comfortable lying face first on the carpet, and decided to lie there instead.

'_I wonder how much longer it'll take for InuYasha's freakin' wound to heal,_' she wondered pointlessly, for what must have been the four hundredth time. What should have been a relatively small wound on InuYasha's chest where Kikyo's arrow had hit him had turned into a gaping infected hole, nearly as bad as when Sesshomaru had plunged his hand right through him in the earlier episodes. There had been black skin dying around the edges and pus seeping out from the inside, nearly making Chiyo throw up when she had inspected it. Since then her and her dad had been constantly monitoring it (for her mum actually _had_ thrown up when she'd seen it), and the infection had thankfully died down. But they still had to change his bandages twice day, along with giving him anti-biotics and-

"What the hell do you think you're doing down there?"

Chiyo barely had time to recognize the irritated voice before a hand had grasped the back of her top and hoisted her up a good metre into the air.

"Gack!" she exclaimed, flailing her arms and legs as she dangled horizontally. "InuYasha, put me down! I was comfortable!"

"More like lazy," the half-demon retorted, as he moved her under his arm. He frowned down at Chiyo and generally ignored her protests to set her upright, so she decided to shut up and just pout instead as he carried her back to her room.

"Where were you?" she eventually asked, as he plonked her down none too gently back on her bed.

"Outside," he answered, sitting himself down and leaning against the wall. By now Chiyo knew that his one-worded answer meant 'I was sitting on the room looking out at the rest of the street keeping a look out or trying to look badass or something.' She looked him over, as he looked to the side. He was not dressed in his usual poofy red attire, which Chiyo's mum has complained smelt like wet dog and was now in the process of being washed for probably the first time ever. Instead, InuYasha wore a pair of her dad's old blue jeans and a pinkish-red t-shirt with the Nike symbol on it. Chiyo had to bite her lip to stop herself from giggling like a fangirl; seeing InuYasha in tight jeans just flicked on the otaku switch inside her.

"What?" InuYasha demanded, and Chiyo started, then realized he'd noticed her staring.

"Uh, no-nothing," she answered awkwardly, looking away quickly, then stuffing her face in a pillow when she felt herself blush. InuYasha looked away uncomfortably too, as he felt very awkward watching Chiyo stuff her head into something that had his face printed on it. Silence followed.

'Hey,' InuYasha suddenly realized, 'I still haven't apologized to her for nearly ripping her apart when I was demon, or thanked her for saving Kagome (see chapters 4 and 7).' He glanced at Chiyo, who still had her head stuck in the pillow-him. He paused, tossing around the idea of sounding sincere for once. Grinding his teeth together, he was just about to open his mouth when Chiyo raised her head out of the pillow.

"Oh yeah, that's right," she said, and InuYasha let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Ookami's coming over-"

"Hiya!!" The door slammed open, making InuYasha tip backwards and Chiyo drop her pillow in fright. Of course, who else could walk into the room but Ookami at that moment? Chiyo cursed the irony gods to the fiery pits of hell.

"And yet another person arrives to help me expand my ever-growing headache," Chiyo said with false excitement, as Ookami waltzed in.

"Well here's an add-on to that migraine," she said with an absolute-zero grin, and she clipped Chiyo over the back of the head, who yelped. Ookami turned to InuYasha, dropping her bag down onto the floor. "So, how have you been?" she asked eagerly. Before he could answer, Ookami went toppling forward onto the carpet as Chiyo kicked her from behind. Cursing, Ookami crawled up and glared at her.

"Pay back," Chiyo snapped.

"Shrimp," she muttered.

"Baka," Chiyo retorted.

"Broken-brained person," Ookami growled.

There was a pause, then both of them laughed.

InuYasha shook his head in disbelief. '_These girls look like sworn enemies one minute, then best friends the next_,' he thought. '_I don't get it._'

"Anyway," Chiyo sighed, her laughter dying down, "How'd you get here so fast?"

"My dad was leaving to go out and collect wood for my grandma," Ookami answered, crossing her legs. "I just jumped in the car and he drove me here."

Chiyo watched as Ookami's eyes were drawn once again to her watch on her right wrist. "I still can't get over it," she said quietly. "That thing can seriously take you into the Feudal Era?"

"Yup." Chiyo lay back on her pillow, closing her eyes. "And everything's as real as InuYasha is right now."

Ookami turned to InuYasha, marvelling him as he glared back. "Every time look at you..." Ookami said slowly, and then she trailed off. InuYasha raised an eyebrow. "What?" he said, in an aggravated tone. He was sick of people staring him all the time. Ookami smiled. Chiyo opened one eye.

"Every time I look at you," she said,

"I just want to touch your ears."

"Arrrrrgh!!" InuYasha cried, as Chiyo exhaled tiredly and closed her eye again. "Not this again! You. Can. Not. Touch. Them!!" he barked at her. Ookami made a puppy dog face.

"But they look so fluffy!" she insisted. "And tweak-able! Pweeeeeeeease?" She pouted at him. InuYasha raised his fist in return, clenching his teeth.

"Ok guys, just chill," Chiyo said exasperatingly. "No fighting in my room. Blood stains are hard to get outta the carpet." Her joking voice held an edge to it. Ookami looked away grudgingly and InuYasha lowered his clenched hand.

The three raised their heads when they heard someone coming upstairs. The door opened soon after, and Chiyo's dad came in.

"Chiyo," he said, after nodding briefly to the other two, "I forgot to buy the pasta for tonight's dinner. Would you mind just quickly walking up to the shop and grabbing a few packets?"

"Hm? Oh, sure, yeah. No problem," Chiyo replied, hopping off the bed and following her dad out. Ookami and InuYasha followed suit behind.

Downstairs, Kyon stood in front of the toaster, waiting for the bread to pop up. Chiyo waited as her dad removed a note from his wallet, whilst Ookami gazed longingly at InuYasha's ears, her hands twitching occasionally.

"Ookami, would you mind waiting here with InuYasha?" Chiyo asked, slipping the money into her back pocket. "I'll only be a sec."

"Sure!" she replied happily, and Chiyo saw InuYasha grimace behind her. "Why can't I go out?" he growled. "Don't tell me it's like Kagome's world all over again."

"It's like Kagome's world all over again," Chiyo told him, walking towards the door. "Sorry. You'll just have to put up with it until you get back."

At that moment, Chiyo's mum walked into the room, back from wherever she'd been until now. At the same time, Kyon's toast popped up, with InuYasha standing right next to the toaster. He jerked at the sound and raised his fist, ready to punch the living daylights out of the machine. Chiyo's mum squealed, but Chiyo quickly lashed her leg out and kicked InuYasha in the shin, and his hand dropped to his leg and missed the toaster by inches.

"InuYasha, the toaster is not your enemy," Chiyo stated tiredly, as he hissed in pain. Chiyo looked to her mum and jumped at the expression on her face.

"Chiyo," she said quietly, her voice quivering, "would you please get him out of the house?"

Chiyo blinked, and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, not really," she answered, growing more nervous at her mother's reddening face. "He sorta has to stay in here in case-"

"JUST GET HIM OUT!!" her mum screamed, making everyone jump about a metre in the air.

"Y-y-yes ma'am!!" Chiyo and Ookami both squeaked back, grabbing InuYasha by the arms and rushing out as fast as they could. They were out the front door and halfway down the street before Kyon even remembered his toast was ready.

* * *

"So what pasta do you want?"

"I dunno. Just get penne."

"But that's so boring!"

"Well then get spaghetti."

"Kyon hates that."

"_Then get something else_."

"Fine, but I'm not getting anything squiggly."

"Who _cares_ what shape the freakin' pasta is?!"

"_I do_!!"

InuYasha rolled his eyes at the pair, then turned and looked around. The 'shop' was bigger than any he'd ever seen, even the one he'd been to in Kagome's time. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful in finding a big stack of ramen like he had in Kagome's world, which he would have preferred to any of the pasta that the girls were failing to choose. Sighing, he walked off from the arguing duo and looked around at some other merchandise. But before he could walk even a few steps away, someone grabbed onto his arm.

InuYasha automatically grabbed the hilt of the Tessaiga, which he had insisted on still wearing even without his feudal era clothing. He turned and saw an unfamiliar girl clutching on his arm, and he frowned. She was about the same ages as Chiyo, maybe a bit older. Two other girls eagerly stood behind her.

"Excuse me, sir," the girl holding him said, "you wouldn't happen to be a cosplayer, would you?"

'_Cosplayer_?' InuYasha thought, vaguely remembering the word. '_Oh yeah, Ookami called me that before as well._'

"Sorry," he answered, shrugging her off. "Don't know what the word means." He turned to walk off, but was cut off by the other two girls, who had somehow sneaked behind him.

"Well then..." one of the girls started, as the first girl moved to stand next to her friends.

"...do you know what the show 'InuYasha' is?" the other girl finished. InuYasha's eye visibly twitched, and his mind began to panic. "More...or less," he choked out, and the three girls beamed up at him.

"Then you're dressing up as him, right?" the first girl pressed, as the other two gazed at his ears and sword sheath.

"M-may..be..." InuYasha stuttered, now starting to really freak out. Had they guessed he really was InuYasha? '_Where the hell did Chiyo and Ookami go_?' he thought, looking around for them desperately.

"Then that's cosplaying!" the third girl exclaimed happily. InuYasha began to sweat as the girls moved in closer.

"And you're a really good cosplayer," the second one commented. "I mean, look how real this katana looks!" she exclaimed, reaching for his sword.

"Hey!" InuYasha snapped, jerking away. "Don't touch that!"

"Hah, and you've even got Inu-chan's temperament right," the first girl laughed, as she reached for his hair. InuYasha twitched at her sappy nickname for him.

"And your hair's the perfect colour!"

"And just look how real those ears look, too!"

InuYasha tried to step back but the three girls kept advancing on him, until his was driven into a wall. "J-j-just cut it out!" InuYasha cried, but the girls kept commenting and trying to touch his sword and hair. '_Someone help me_!!' he thought desperately.

"Alright you fangirls, break it up!!"

InuYasha's ears shot up and he looked around for the source of the voice. He finally spied Ookami standing with her hands on her hips and a glare on her face a few steps behind the girls. The three harassment witches turned and faced her, giving her questioning looks. Ookami wasted no time in stomping forward and grabbing onto InuYasha. "He's with me," she growled at them, then marched away with him. InuYasha watched the sulking girls disappear as they rounded a corner, then let out a huge breath. "Thanks," he said to Ookami, "but you can let me go now."

"Not a chance, _Inu-chan_," she hissed at him, and his face went red. "I ain't letting you get cornered by obsessed freaks again. Can't believe you ran into fans of the show, here of all places..." She trailed off, muttering something about sick irony and anime conventions.

InuYasha gulped, trying to forget about the nickname and focusing instead on keeping up with Ookami, whose pace was so fast and strong she was practically ripping his arm out of its socket.

'_Great,' _InuYasha thought glumly. _'How is _Chiyo_ gonna react when she hears I was nearly caught out..._'

* * *

"Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!"

"Will you shut up already?!"

"Oh my god, InuYasha, that is just _too funny_!!" Chiyo cried, wiping tears from her eyes. "Or should I call you _Inu-chan_?" she commented, which drove her into yet another fit of giggles. InuYasha wished he could punch her laughing face, but lying on her bed and having his wound inspected by her meant that he wasn't in the best position to do that right now.

"It wasn't really funny," Ookami commented, hovering over the pair like a bee around flowers. "He could've been found out." But InuYasha could see she was trying to hold back laughter herself.

"Okay, let's take a look at this wound," Chiyo said, after she's got her breath back from laughing so much. She swiftly unwrapped the bandages that covered InuYasha's chest, revealing more skin after each layer. Finally the last piece of cloth was removed, and Chiyo and Ookami fell silent, inspecting the injury.

"So?" InuYasha asked, after a moment's silence from the girls. "How is it?"

Chiyo's brow furrowed very slightly, and then her face broke into a wide grin. "It's gone," she said happily, as Ookami continued to stare. "The wound's completely disappeared."

"Wait…you serious?" InuYasha asked, lifting his head.

"Stay down, you," Chiyo said, forcing his head roughly back down.

"Woah," Ookami said, breaking her silence. "But wasn't it really bad yesterday?"

"Well I guess all those anti-biotics finally kicked in!" Chiyo exclaimed, rolling up the dirtied bandages. "The infection probably wore off, so then all that was left to heal was the damaged tissue." She paused, thinking.

"So that means," InuYasha said, cautiously sitting up and hoping Chiyo wouldn't push him back down again, "that I can go back now?"

"Uh huh," Chiyo said, stretching her arms. Ookami paused, then suddenly jerked as the information sunk in. "Wait a sec," she said, frowning, "go back?" She looked at Chiyo. "But...so soon? He just got here! That...that's not fair!!"

"It's not like he's here because he wants to be, Ookami," Chiyo said, looking up at her.

"Yeah," InuYasha agreed. "The sooner I get back, the better. I'm done with these weird worlds that people like you and Kagome live in."

"No!" Ookami whined, stamping her foot. "You have to stay!"

"I do not!" InuYasha snapped at her, reaching for his top. "I'm leaving right now, and no-one's gonna stop me!"

"Sit boy," Chiyo said with her hands on her hips, and InuYasha fell off her bed with fright. Chiyo smirked and muttered, "That'll teach you." Then she turned to Ookami. "Listen, I won't let him leave until the morning, okay?"

"That wasn't funny!" InuYasha growled as he got up from the floor.

Ookami stared at her. "You promise?" she asked, boring a hole in Chiyo's head with her eye power.

Chiyo nodded, trying not to let her uneasiness show on her face. "Yep, promise," she replied, turning to pick up the discarded bandages. "Anyway, you might as well sleep over tonight. You can say goodbye to us in the morning."

InuYasha, through with being ignored, stomped out of the room.

"Wait, 'us'?" Ookami repeated, as InuYasha slammed the door shut. "Whaddya mean?"

"Hm? Oh, well, I have to go and make sure InuYasha gets back okay. Don't want him getting trapped in that creepy portal thing or something."

Ookami was silent after that, which surprised Chiyo – she hardly ever went silent. The girl was a living Little Ms. Chatterbox. It was only if she was thinking about something; but _seriously_ thinking about it. Chiyo knew it'd come back to bite her later, dreading what her devious friend might be planning.

* * *

"Goodnight girls! Goodnight InuYasha!"

"G'night!" Chiyo called back downstairs for the other two, as she walked down the corridor to her bedroom. Ookami was waiting in her room, InuYasha following her after using the bathroom. Chiyo snickered, remembering when they'd try to teach him how to use the toilet for the first time.

Chiyo entered her room, noting Ookami had already pulled out the mattress and was sitting on it. She looked up at the duo as they walked in, and then frowned at InuYasha. "What's he doing in here?" she asked. Chiyo blinked. "Hm? Oh, he's been sleeping in here for the past few days."

"Well he can't sleep in here tonight," Ookami replied.

"And just why not?" InuYasha demanded, stepping forward. Ookami jumped up and started pushing him out of the room.

"Because! There are two girls sleeping in here and we'll keep you up all night with our talking and I need a particular atmosphere to sleep and yeah!"

"But- Chiyo!" InuYasha cried, as Ookami proceeded to wedge him out of the doorway.

Chiyo gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, but Ookami has certain sleep issues. You'll just have to put up with it tonight."

InuYasha groaned, then turned and trudged out of the room, muttering curses under his breath. "The couch is pretty comfy!" Ookami called out to him, as she shut the door. She sighed, and then turned around to find Chiyo glaring at her.

"That was mean," Chiyo stated, her arms folded across her chest. Ookami stuck out her tongue in return. "I don't want any guy to see me when I'm asleep," she replied, "no matter who – or what – he is," she added. Chiyo rolled her eyes, plonking down on her pillow.

* * *

Later on, at around about 2 o'clock in the morning, Chiyo and Ookami were still talking under the cover of darkness. Her parents had given up telling the pair a lights-out time long ago, after many failed attempts to shut them up at night.

"Wait- you're telling me that you stopped demon InuYasha by smacking him on the head with his sword?!"

"Yep. Didn't know whether it would work or not; very glad that it did or I would've been dead me-"

"Hold on a sec!!" Ookami suddenly cried.

"Shut up!" Chiyo whisper-yelled, shoving a pillow in where she thought Ookami's face was (remember, humans don't have night vision, no matter how much we want it). Ookami gave a muffled yelp and grabbed onto what she thought would be Chiyo's arm (which was actually her leg) and yanked her off of her bed onto the floor.

"What was that for?!" both girls exclaimed in unison, then they both put their hands over their mouths when they heard movement downstairs. They both stayed stone-still until the slightly stifled speech and steps of Chiyo's parents died down and faded. Slowly they removed their hands from over their mouths, both sitting up on the mattress.

"Thanks a lot," she hissed at Ookami, "you would've had my head on a platter if my dad had walked in!"

"Oh, suck it up," Ookami grumbled, grabbing her Edward Elric-faced pillow she'd brought with her and hugging it. "Now can I continue without you slamming something in my face?"

"If you can keep your voice below screaming point, then please do continue."

Chiyo could feel Ookami's glare piercing through the pitch black.

"I was going to ask," Ookami continued menacingly, "if you'd met Houshi-sama!"

Chiyo frowned. "Who's Houshi-sa – oh!" Now she remembered. 'Houshi-sama' was another word for Lord Monk in Japanese. So by Houshi-sama...

"You mean Miroku, right?" Chiyo said, grinning from ear to ear. She saw the rough outline of Ookami's head nodding vigorously. "Of course I've met Miroku!"

Ookami squealed, earning herself a shut-up kick from Chiyo. "You've really met him?! That's so cool!! _Kyaa~_!!" Ookami whisper-squeaked, squeezing her Ed-pillow so hard it might burst at the seams. Chiyo tried not to laugh. Ookami was an extreme Miroku fangirl. She had a big poster of him with his wind tunnel open stuck on the ceiling above her bed, along with numerous collectables like key-rings and plushies with his face on it. Of course, they didn't outnumber her Fullmetal Alchemist figurines, but they came pretty close.

"That settles it," Ookami suddenly said in the midst of her giggles, catching Chiyo's attention.

"Huh?" she asked. "Settles...what, exactly?"

"I'm coming with you tomorrow." Ookami replied happily, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Chiyo was silent for a moment.

"Ooka...mi," she finally said, "you're not coming tomorrow."

Chiyo yelped as the Ed-pillow knocked her backwards.

"Oh, you bet I am," Ookami said, still as happily as before. Chiyo jerked off and flung the pillow back, but Ookami – expecting the vicious return of her pillow – caught it with ease.

"One; don't piff pillows at me," Chiyo snarled at her, – making Ookami laugh evilly – "and two; what makes you so sure you can come along?"

"Oh, I'll be coming alright," Ookami replied wickedly. "Unless, of course, you want that _fanfiction_ you wrote to go up on the school's portal."

Chiyo paused, then she gasped. "Wait- you don't mean..?!"

"Oh yeah, I mean that one."

"You wouldn't..."

"Wanna try me?"

Chiyo bit her lip. A couple of months ago she had been home alone and very bored. So, like most fangirls might do when bored, she wrote a very Mary Sue-ish and soppy one-shot of her and a certain dog-eared half demon......well......let's just say it was the last thing she wanted anyone to ever lay eyes on. Unfortunately Chiyo had made the mistake of saving it to her USB, forgetting it was on there, then letting Ookami borrow the USB. '_But she wouldn't dare pull that on me..._' Chiyo thought indecisively. '_That's my whole reputation – no, my whole __**life**__ at stake. She wouldn't...right_?'

"Seeing as you doubt me so," Ookami said, breaking Chiyo's train of thought, "would you like to test me?"

"Huh?" Chiyo's stomach dropped down to her feet.

"Let's just see what InuYasha has to say about this," Ookami taunted, grabbing her bag and beginning to unzip it, which almost certainly held Ookami's USB inside it.

"No-!!" Chiyo cried as silently as she could, leaping for Ookami's silhouette. Ookami, again expecting an attack, swiftly rolled out of the way and tackled Chiyo from the back, pinning her down. Chiyo flailed under her like a fish, but she couldn't break her friend's grip off of her.

"Now then," Ookami whispered, still grinning, "are you going to let me come with you to the Feudal Era, or do I have to publicly embarrass you before you oblige?"

"Get off me and I might answer!" Chiyo hissed, but Ookami just pressed her down harder. "Owowow! Okay okay, fine, you can come! Just get off me!"

"You promise?" Ookami asked, holding her down tighter than ever.

"Yes, yes, I promise!!"

"Swear on InuYasha?"

"I swear on him! Now get the hell off me!!"

Ookami finally released Chiyo, who plonked down on the mattress and rubbed her sore limbs. Ookami leaned back onto her heels.

"I knew you'd see my way eventually," she said cheerfully, as if she just hadn't tried to dislocate Chiyo's shoulder and threaten her with blackmail.

"_I knew you see my way eventually_," Chiyo mimicked in a high, annoyed voice, as she propped herself up on her elbows.

Just then, the door handle clicked, making both Chiyo and Ookami start. Chiyo jumped up and dived back onto her bed, and Ookami grabbed her blanket and threw it over her head, both of them lying down and staying as still as they could. The door opened up, and Chiyo peeked a look at who had entered through a half-open eyelid. But she abruptly sat up and flung her blanket off of her when she realized who it was.

"InuYasha, what the heck do you want?!" she whisper-yelled at him, and the blanket Ookami had thrown over her head soon disappeared off of her too. Standing in the doorway, with one hand still holding the door handle, was InuYasha. He stepped back a bit as both girls glared at him; he probably hadn't been expecting them to both be awake.

"I- I just-" he started, "I- heard noises! And someone said my name, too!" he said defensively. Chiyo could guess that he was blushing, even though it was too dark to tell.

"Is everything alright in here?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

Chiyo and Ookami both glanced at each other, and Ookami gave her a I-still-have-blackmail-against-you-so-don't-you-dare-tell look. "Yeah, everything's fine," Chiyo sighed. '_Damn you Ookami. One day you'll pay..._'

"Yup, everything's fine!" Ookami reassured InuYasha. When he didn't move, she stood up, grinned at him, and closed the door. The two girls heard him grumble something like 'worse than Kagome' before his footsteps faded away.

* * *

Chiyo watched from the top window as her parents and Kyon, in the car, reversed out of the driveway, turned, and drove off down the road and out of sight. She sighed, knowing she was kind of deceiving them a little. They (as in, her mum) had not wanted her to go back to the Feudal era with InuYasha, so Chiyo hadn't said a word about her leaving, much less about Ookami tagging along. If all went as it usually did though, she would only be gone for a seemingly split second and then return, so her parents wouldn't know a thing.

"C'mon c'mon c'mon!" Ookami chanted impatiently, hopping from foot to foot excitedly. "Let's go let's go let's go!!"

"Alright, alright already," Chiyo said exasperatingly, walking away from the window. "InuYasha, you ready?"

"Have been since I woke up," he snapped, and it was true; he'd been even more impatient than usual, wanting to return to his 'normal' world, as he had called it (Chiyo had had to stop herself from laughing). He'd rushed to get back into his normal attire as well, which now smelt strongly of soap and strawberries.

"Well then, let's get going," she said, stretching her arms before peering at the watch on her wrist. "Lessee...it was...this button, here." Chiyo pressed the large silver button on the side of the screen, and the other two jumped as the portal suddenly emerged out of the air in front of them. Ookami's mouth dropped to the floor as she gaped at the churning circular mass of colour in front of her.

"You first," Chiyo said and, without warning, grabbed Ookami's arm and thrust her in. She squealed in shock, and then her and her flailing arms disappeared as she melted in with the colours. InuYasha raised his eyebrows, then quickly hopped in after her before Chiyo could grab onto him. Chiyo took in a deep breath, then jumped in herself. She let her body go limp as the colour surrounded her, and she tumbled through the weird sensation with ease. Her clothes began to change and become red and puffier. Her hair waved around her as it lengthened, and she even felt her ears disappear from the side of her face as new, fluffier ones came up on the top of her head. Eventually she spied an opening of light at the bottom of the portal, and she manoeuvred herself upright as she fell through it. As she passed through her surroundings suddenly changed from multi-coloured to Kaede's village. The ground approached rapidly, but Chiyo was ready for it; she bent her knees as she landed and the impact of her landing was minimal, and she retained her balance. Glancing up, she saw the last of the portal evaporate into the air as smoothly as it had appeared only moments ago.

Slowly Chiyo stood up, brushed herself off, and looked around. When she spied InuYasha, she had to shove her fist in her mouth to stop herself from laughing; he had landed on top of one of the roofs of a village hut and crashed through it, leaving only his legs sticking out and kicking the air around him. '_But if he's here_,' Chiyo thought, '_then where's-_'

"OH MY GOD!!"

Chiyo jumped as her friend's voice cut through the peacefulness of the village, and quickly turned to the direction of the sound. When she finally spotted Ookami, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Holy smhickey!!" she exclaimed, a twitching finger rising up to point at her friend.

"Ookami...what the hell...?!"

* * *

Kagome: Stupid cliff-hangers AGAIN!

Ookami: What the hell did you do to me?!

Laura: (lying in a pool of blood) Heh...hah...heh...(twitches)

Chiyo: Somebody call a freakin' ambulance!!

* * *


	11. Chapter 11: The Demon Inside

Laura: 8D  
InuYasha:...what's her problem now?  
Chiyo: It's her 15th birthday today!  
Shippo: Ah, happy birthday!  
Laura: I got the chapter finished in time...8D  
Ookami: Um, let's just start the chapter...(her face is scaring me!)

* * *

Chapter 11 – The Demon Inside

_Previously..._

"_OH MY GOD!!"_

_Chiyo jumped as her friend's voice cut through the peacefulness of the village, and quickly turned to the direction of the sound. When she finally spotted Ookami, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Holy smhickey!!" she exclaimed, a twitching finger rising up to point at her friend._

"_Ookami...what the hell...?!"_

_

* * *

_

Chiyo stared at Ookami, her finger shaking in the air as she continued to point. Ookami stared back at her, then down at herself, then Chiyo again, then herself again. "Chiyo, what the hell happened?!" she yelled, and a flock of birds hastily flew out of a nearby tree, startled by Ookami's shrieks. Chiyo shook her head slowly. Sure, she should have expected that Ookami would change when she came into the Feudal Era with her.  
She _should_ have expected.  
But she hadn't.  
Least of all, she hadn't been expecting to turn around and see her friend in a demon slaying outfit.  
Chiyo's pointing hand went limp and dropped to her side, and she was quiet and blank for a few seconds. Then, without warning, she suddenly found the sight incredibly amusing, and she burst out laughing.  
"What's your problem?!" Ookami yelled at her. "This is NOT funny!! Why in the seven hells am I dressed up like freaking Sango?!!" As Ookami ranted, Chiyo clutched her sides and fell on the ground in stitches, tears trailing from her eyes.  
"This...this is...it's too...funny...." she gasped, and laughed even louder.  
"Shut UP!" Ookami shouted. "It's NOT!!"  
'_It is too_,' Chiyo thought, as she was so caught up in laughter now she was unable to speak. The thing she found so amusing was the fact that Ookami hated two things in particular; Sango, and tight body suits. Sango, because she was the natural series pairing for Ookami's 'Houshi-sama,' and tight body suits, because...well, who actually likes tight body suits? Excluding old perverted men.

"Chiyo!"

Chiyo barely managed to look up off the ground to see whoever had called her name. Through her teary eyes she saw a certain dark haired teenager in a school uniform running towards her from the village. Following close behind her was a monk in purple robes, a little boy with a fox tail, and a young woman in a pink and green kimono.  
Ookami looked up at the noise too, and an enormous gaping grin appeared across her face as she saw the approaching group. "Oh my God, it's really them~!!" she squealed, momentarily forgetting the clingy outfit she was now clothed in. Chiyo literally forced herself to stop laughing just so she could sit up and wipe the tears from her eyes. "H-h-hey guys-s....pfft," she giggled, biting her lip at the end to stop herself cracking up again. The group reached them, and Kagome held out her hand to help Chiyo up. "Uh, Chiyo?" Kagome whispered into her ear as she stood up.  
"Hm?"  
"Who is that?" Kagome asked uncertainly, subtly pointing over to Ookami. Chiyo glanced over to her, and saw she was staring at Miroku, an insanely and slightly disturbing grin on her face.  
"An expert blackmail-ist and a fanatical fangirl," Chiyo replied, holding back the last of her laughter. Kagome blinked in surprise. "Oh. Okay..."  
Chiyo rolled her eyes. "She's my friend," she explained. "She insisted on coming here, or else I faced the apocalypse every morning for the rest of my life."  
Kagome blinked again, then looked over to Ookami, who was now rubbing her face against the hand of a very confused Miroku.  
"Uh, so, who's your friend, Chiyo?" he asked her awkwardly. "Should we be nervous?"  
"Ignore the idiot attaching herself to your arm," Chiyo told him, quickly shoving Ookami off of Miroku. "Can you at least _act_ normal?" Chiyo hissed at her.  
"You know I suck at acting," Ookami replied sarcastically.  
"Well you better start practicing, or else," Chiyo growled, resisting the urge to punch her friend. Ookami stuck out her tongue.  
"Ah, Chiyo!"  
"Yeah?" Chiyo replied, turning to a startled looking Kagome.  
"I just noticed InuYasha's not with you!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Where-"  
"On the roof," Chiyo giggled, pointing to a hut behind Kagome. Everyone turned and laughed when they saw InuYasha's legs flailing out of a hole in the roof of the house.  
"Very funny, guys!!" the muffled voice of InuYasha shouted across the field from the hut. "Now get over here and help me get down, dammit!!"

* * *

Over at the hut, Chiyo watched with amusement as InuYasha and Kagome argued about how he had got stuck there, how he was going to fix the hole, and how they were going to get him down without breaking the roof even more. She started when she felt a light tap on her shoulder, and turned around to find Sango behind her.  
"Hm?" Chiyo blinked. "What's up, Sango?"  
Sango shifted slightly, and then quickly glanced to her left. Chiyo followed her gaze and spotted Ookami, still groping Miroku's hand. Miroku, after getting over the initial shock, was now quite enjoying the female attention he was receiving.  
"I wanted to ask you who she is," Sango asked Chiyo quietly. Chiyo internally groaned.  
"Please don't worry about her," Chiyo replied. "As I said before, she's an idiot. And she'll leave Miroku alone...eventually."  
"Ah, no, it's not that," Sango said quickly, and Chiyo watched her cheeks turn red. "I- I was more going to ask about what she's wearing."  
Chiyo glanced at Ookami again, who was now molesting Miroku's whole arm. She had her first good look at the demon-slaying outfit Ookami had arrived in, taking in more detail that jut its tight-fitting-ness. The outfit was nearly identical to Sango's, except that the shoulder pads, knee caps, belt and generally everything that was pink on Sango had become blue. Chiyo also noticed for the first time that she had a sword strung through her belt. The hilt of it was all she could see – as the rest was sheathed – and it was shaped like two crescent moons back to back, with a handle lined with a diamond pattern and a blue tip.  
'_That's no fair_,' Chiyo thought, pouting. '_I didn't get a sword!_'  
"What about it?" Chiyo asked, looking back to Sango, although she was pretty sure she knew what was coming.  
"It looks a lot like what I wear, and what the rest of the demon slayers from my village wore," Sango replied. "Is she still from the same time you are? Or is she..."  
Sango looked eager for an answer. Chiyo knew she was hoping that Ookami had come from the Feudal Era and that she might be connected to her slain village somehow, possibly even a survivor from the attack. She bit her lip. "I...I'm really sorry, Sango," she said quietly. "She's not from the Feudal Era, she's from my world as well. The outfit she's wearing...I don't know how she got it, but she's not from your village."  
Sango's expression flickered from hopeful to down heartened for an instant, then she covered it with a smile. "Ah, I see..." she said, "My mistake. Of course she's from your world. How silly of me!" She laughed once, then turned away. Chiyo's heart sank. She couldn't bear to leave Sango like that.  
"Sango!" She tapped the young woman on the shoulder, and she turned around again. "I...she...uh...ah...Ookami would like to learn though!" Chiyo blurted out. Sango blinked, looking confused.  
"Ah, that is..." Chiyo stuttered, trying to think of something convincing to say. "She...she wants to learn how to be a proper demon slayer! She's inexperienced, and, uh, she'd like to learn from the best! That is, you, I mean...she means..."  
'_Bad idea bad idea bad idea Chiyo!!_' her rational side yelled at her, but it was too late to take back what she had said. Chiyo watched as Sango's face lit up, and a real smile came across her face. "That...that's...ah, of course I'll teach her!" Sango replied, looking more anticipated now.  
"SIT BOY!!"  
Everyone jumped as Kagome yelled out the command at InuYasha, and a crash echoed through the village as InuYasha went through the roof. Apparently he had said something about Kagome being too incompetent to get him down, which had set the schoolgirl off. A small cloud of dust floated out through the now huge hole in the roof, followed by a long groan.  
"You better fix that roof!!" Kagome yelled, storming off.  
"Shu...shut up..." the weak voice of InuYasha moaned from inside the hut.  
Sango looked back to Chiyo, the scene not an uncommon one for her. "So, I could show her some sword techniques in the morning..." Sango supposed.  
Chiyo smiled, trying not to show her anxiety. "Yeah, that'd be great! But, ah, you'll have to put up with her, she can be a bit...forward..."  
Sango smiled back, and walked off, passing Ookami and Miroku. She beamed at Ookami, who took a second to stop stroking Miroku to glare at her confusingly. Sango, taken slightly aback by the glare, decided to wander away and help Kaede with village work, much to the relief of Chiyo. Miroku sighed gratefully, thankful that Sango hadn't yelled at him for letting Ookami continuously glomp his arm.

* * *

That night, Chiyo had finally torn Ookami away from Miroku and dragged her away from the village to speak to her. She yanked her moronic friend away from the huts and closer to the Forest of InuYasha, stopping at a nearby tree.

"What do you want?!" Ookami yelled at her, and Chiyo hushed her with a finger on her lips and an evil glare.  
"Chill out, will you?" she whisper-yelled, rolling her eyes. "Am I allowed to speak to you for one minute?"  
"Well then why'd you drag me away like that?!" Ookami hissed at her. "You didn't have to-"  
"Because you wouldn't leave Miroku freaking alone!!" Chiyo yelled, then clapped a hand over her mouth at her unexpected flare-up. Ookami started when she yelled at her, then paused, the annoyance flying of her face. There was a pause as Chiyo turned around, kicking the grass in frustration.  
Ookami looked over her friend for what must have been the millionth time that day. She couldn't believe that Chiyo's story had been true, that she really had been in the Feudal Era, that she really had become a half-demon. Even after meeting InuYasha she couldn't quite bring herself to terms with it. Now, staring at her friend, who was wearing the robe of the fire rat, had hair longer than Rapunzel and had animal ears poking out of the top of her head, it had finally clicked that she was telling the truth.  
'_I demanded to come here not because I wanted to come, but because I didn't believe her_,' she realised. '_I needed to see it for myself. And then I come here, cling to Houshi-sama all day, and completely ignore her. And she's probably been stressing out about everything too...ah crap._'  
"Hey," she said, leaning against the tree and crossing her arms. Chiyo turned, still looking quite pissed.  
"I'm sorry," Ookami said, looking down at the ground. "Didn't mean to act like such a...fangirl. My bad." She looked up, hoping Chiyo knew she meant it. "Just got...over-excited. Or broken-brained. Either one."  
Chiyo, despite herself, laughed, and snorted trying to hold it back. Ookami burst out with a laugh at her snort, then the two completely cracked up.  
"That...that's okay," Chiyo snickered, her bad mood disappearing. "But either way, I didn't drag you here for an apology."  
Ookami stopped laughing, looking at her friend. She was about to ask why they were here then when she noticed that she wasn't looking down at her.  
"Hey, you've...you...you're taller!!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her. "What...how...when did you-!"  
"It comes with the ears." Chiyo grinned at her friends alarmed face. "No calling me midget here, got it?"  
"But...what...eh?" Ookami was thoroughly confused now. "That's...wah...hah?"  
"Hey, you got a sword, so stop complaining," Chiyo snapped, pouting again at the sword on Ookami's hip. Ookami looked down, and her eyes widened. "WOAH!!" she cried out, making Chiyo jump out of her skin. "Holy moly, what is it now?!" Chiyo hissed, looking to see if Ookami scared the crap out of any villagers as well.  
"I...I have a sword!!" she whisper-yelled, grabbing it off of her belt and staring at it. Chiyo gawked at her.  
"You...you mean you didn't...notice?"  
"No!" Ookami replied, stroking the sheath delicately, as if it would break if touched any harder.  
About 11 sweatdrops appeared above Chiyo's head.  
"Look, anyway, can we stay focused!" Chiyo whispered in irritation. "I came here to talk to you about Sango."  
About 11 anger marks appeared above Ookami's head.  
"Ah yes, the bitch who's stealing my Houshi-sama," she growled, and Chiyo felt the air become colder by the second.  
"Okay, okay, we all know you hate her, relax please," Chiyo warned her. "But I'm afraid you're going to have to spend some time with her."  
Ookami's head snapped up to look at her. "...what do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice low and guarded. Chiyo felt her stomach drop.  
"Uh, well, y'see...she kinda came up to me before, and...uh..."  
"And _what_, Chiyo?" her friend asked, and Chiyo became even more frantic at her friend's tone.  
"Uh, well...look, put that sword down at least! And...well...uh...um...!"  
"Spit it _out_, Chiyo!"  
"Itoldheryou'dtrainwithherdon'tkillme!!" Chiyo squeaked, holding her hands over her head protectively.  
"You...huh?" Ookami asked, completely missing the English in her sentence.  
"I...I told her that you wanted to learn how to be a demon slayer from her, and she said she'd teach you some sword techniques in the morning! Look, I didn't mean too, but she thought you were from her demon slaying village, and she was really upset when I said no, so I said that you'd like to learn from her! I didn't want her to be sad! Please please _please _don't kill me!"  
Chiyo paused, her arms gripped above her head in fear, waiting for Ookami to rip her to shreds. When there was no reaction from her friend, Chiyo glanced up nervously. Her hands dropped cautiously when she saw Ookami was staring at her sword again.  
"Eh?" Chiyo blinked. "Aren't you going to kill me?"  
"Do you want me to?" she retorted, and Chiyo squeaked and covered her head again.  
"No!" she squealed.  
Ookami sighed, then began to hook the sword back onto her belt. "It's alright," she said, and Chiyo looked up at her again. She looked determined about something. "I'll learn from her," she continued. "It's okay. I'm gonna stop being such a fangirl," she said, grinning at Chiyo. Chiyo straightened up from her armadillo position.  
"So...you'll train with her?" Chiyo asked, unsure of what she'd just heard. "You're okay with it...?"  
"Yeah. I'll put up with her somehow..." Ookami laughed uneasily.  
Chiyo couldn't believe her luck. "Well, then..." she said, but she trailed off.  
"At least I'll learn how to use a sword!" Ookami said, trying to look on the brighter side. "Maybe I'll even get to spar against InuYasha...Chiyo?"  
Ookami stopped talking when she realised her friend was peering into the dark behind the tree. Ookami checked behind her, but saw nothing but the dark outline of the forest. "What?" she asked, looking back to her friend. "Can you see something?"  
Ookami had trouble remembering what happened next. She could remember Chiyo's eyes widening, then her suddenly leaping for her. The next second she was flying through the air, and a flash of red appeared before her. Then she hit the ground, and suddenly noise exploded around her, and her body spasmed in unexpected pain. She cried out and gripped her arm, which felt strangely sticky. Pulling her hand away, her insides twisted as she realised it was covered in blood. Crashes and screams erupted around her, and she looked up in a daze. Her stomach lurched at the sight in front of her.

There was a huge writhing shape moving through the darkness, coming closer and closer to the village by the second. It moved swiftly besides its massive size, as it was bigger than three of the huts put together. The grass died beneath it and it demolished anything that it crawled over, leaving a trail of debris and demise. Village woman screamed at the sight, scooping up their children and running for cover, while the men mounted horses and ordered others for weapons. Ookami shuddered in terror as the mass slithered over one of the huts, crunching it to pieces and leaving it in ruins. The silhouetted mass crawled into the light of the village fires, and its true form revealed itself in the illumination; a huge, writhing demon, covered in squirming tentacles and countless eyes.  
Ookami nearly threw up at the sight of the restless tentacles, and she scooted back in horror, even though she had fallen a long distance from the village. She hissed as her arm spurted more blood, and clenched it fearfully. She watched as Kagome, InuYasha and the others ran out of the huts, readying their weapons and racing towards the demon. It was then Ookami noticed the tree where she and Chiyo had been standing just seconds ago had been run over by the monster, and was now reduced to sprays of splintered wood.  
'_But if the tree's like that_...' Ookami thought, and dread coursed through her. "Chiyo!!" she screamed out, scrambling to her feet. She began to run towards the demolished tree, and she lost her balance several times before reaching it. She couldn't see Chiyo anywhere. Blood spilt from her arm and splashed onto the ground and she spun around frantically, trying to find any sight of her friend. "Chiyo!! Chiyo, dammit, where are you?!! CHIYO!!!"  
Suddenly something touched her shoulder, and Ookami's heart leapt, believing it was Chiyo's hand. She turned around immediately, then jumped back when she saw it was not a hand, but a writhing tentacle that had tapped her. Ookami watched, frozen in terror, as it wavered in front of her. She noticed the tentacle had a sharp, blade-like claw on its tip, and realised that what must have been what had slashed her arm and sent her flying before. The tentacle paused in the air, and Ookami took at step back, as slowly and as quietly as she could. Inching away from it at snail speed, Ookami watched as the tentacle stayed, suspended in the air and quivering slightly. Suddenly Ookami stepped on a splinter of wood from the tree, lost her balance, and fell backwards. The tentacle, sensing the movement, shot out at her, its blade heading straight for her head. Ookami screamed and shut her eyes as the snaking tentacle raced towards her. But, instead of the blade striking into her, Ookami heard the sound of metal on metal. Her eyes snapped open and she flailed back in surprise when she saw a white-haired half demon in front of her, sword drawn and blocking the blade. InuYasha swivelled the Tessaiga around once and with one swift movement sliced through the tentacle. The end of it dropped onto the ground, spraying greenish-black blood everywhere, while the other end jerked and raced back towards its monstrous body.  
Ookami watched as InuYasha stabbed his sword into the end of the tentacle that had dropped off, which was still jumping around on the earth. It jarred once before finally flopping down lifelessly. InuYasha looked over to Ookami, who was still frozen on the ground.  
"Hey!! What the hell are you doing freezing up in a situation like this?!" he yelled at her, and she jumped out of her petrified trance. "Get moving!!"  
Ookami gawked at him, then abruptly closed her mouth. "O-Okay...!" she said, and tried to stand up. But her legs felt like jelly, so she just flopped back down.  
"Argh, of all the things- c'mere!!" InuYasha exclaimed, then he scooped her up with one arm and took off into the air. Ookami shrieked as the ground zoomed away from her and her hair whipped around her face.  
"Argh!!" she cried out. "Put me down, put me down!!"  
"I would, but you can't even walk!!" InuYasha yelled back at her, slicing a tentacle in mid-air.  
"I don't care, just do it!!"  
"What, you want me to drop you?!"  
"No!!"  
"Then shut up or I _will_!!"  
"Get me _down_!!"  
"I said shut up!!"  
InuYasha finally landed on top of a hut that hadn't been completely flattened by the demon as of yet. "There!!" he yelled, "Happy now?!"  
"No, you still haven't put me down!!" Ookami wailed, though she gripped onto InuYasha hard when she saw how high up they were. '_On second thought, maybe I should stay with him..._'  
"InuYasha! You have her!" a voice called from below, and Ookami saw Kagome through all the chaos, giving the thumbs up sign to InuYasha.  
"Of course I have her!" InuYasha yelled back. "And you idiot, concentrate on defending yourself instead of us!"  
"Well excuse me for checking on you!" she shouted back, notching an arrow as a tentacle came flying towards her.  
InuYasha paused, then tensed and swivelled his head to the right. Ookami looked up at him.  
"What?" she said fearfully, as he slowly placed her down. She found her feet this time and stood up beside him. "What's wrong?"  
"This...this scent..." he mumbled to himself, and he seemed to be looking for something in the battle below. Ookami followed his sight, but saw nothing but the fighting villagers.  
"What is it?" she asked, more desperately now. "What can you smell?"  
"It's Chiyo's...blood..." InuYasha said quietly, and Ookami's stomach dropped to her feet. "What?!" she yelled, and began to look more frantically through the battle scene below. "Where is she?!"  
"I dunno, I can't see her!" InuYasha growled, clenching his teeth. "But I think...I think she's somewhere near that _thing_..."  
Ookami bit her lip, then she abruptly jumped off the roof they were perched on. "Hey!! Look out!!" InuYasha yelled, trying to grab her, but he missed her by an inch. Ookami fell through the air, then turned her body and skidded down the rest of the roof, sliding off the edge and landing heavily on her feet below. Her knees buckled and she lost her balance, but she scrambled up and began running through the mass of tentacles and battling men.  
"What are you doing?!" she heard InuYasha's voice call, but she ignored him and kept running amid the chaos around her. She pushed past villagers and ducked under broken hut remains, racing closer to the monstrous demon. She finally dashed out of the crowd of fighting, and the huge demon was now in view. About ten of its hundreds of eyes swivelled round to peer at her, and Ookami abruptly stopped under their gaze. But she clenched her fists, then grabbed the hilt of her sword and unsheathed it, and kept running.  
"Hey! Ookami!" Shippo yelled at her as she ran past his hiding place. "What are you doing?! You'll be killed!"  
"I'm finding Chiyo!" she called back, sprinting past him. Shippo, realising he would once again be left alone, quickly scampered after her.  
"But you don't know how to fight!" he warned her, as he raced on all fours beside her.  
"Shut up, I do so!" Ookami retorted, then they both cried out as a tentacle came their way. Ookami blindly swung her sword around in front of her, battering the tentacle away instead of cutting it.  
"Yeah, but not with a sword you don't!" Shippo insisted, as he jumped onto her shoulder.  
"Look, can we talk about this later, I'm a little busy!!" she yelled, smacking the tentacle repeatedly as she tried to edge around it. Shippo jumped off Ookami's shoulder towards the attacking limb.  
"Fox fire!!" he cried, swinging his arm down and driving the tentacle away with the blue flames. The duo raced away, leaving the tentacle singeing.  
"If it's Chiyo you're looking for, I think she's over here!" Shippo told her, as they ran around the demon.  
"How do you know?" Ookami shouted back, and as they turned the huge trunk of a fallen tree came into view.  
"I can smell too, InuYasha's not the only one!" he said, pouncing over the tree trunk. "Uwah, she's here Ookami!" she heard him wail from the other side of the log.  
Ookami jumped swiftly over the tree and gasped when she saw Chiyo on the ground, unconscious and bleeding profoundly from her stomach. "Shit!" she cursed, as she bent down next to her. "Shippo, help me move her!"  
Shippo grabbed onto Chiyo's wrist and Ookami hooked her arms under Chiyo's, and they both heaved. She was lifted up slightly, but she didn't budge besides that. "What's wrong?" Shippo flustered. "Why won't she move?"  
"There," Ookami realised, pointing to Chiyo's right leg, and Shippo gasped when he saw that the tree had fallen on top of it, leaving her stuck. "Oh no, what're we gonna do?!" he exclaimed. "We can't move her if she's stuck! Ookami, what'd we do?!"  
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!!" she cried, standing up. She suddenly wavered where she stood, and realised that her arm was completely soaked in blood from her previous wound.  
"Dammit," she muttered, kneeling back down before she lost her balance again. "Chiyo, wake up, you broken-brained person!!"  
Chiyo's ears suddenly twitched, and her eyelids fluttered. Shock came over Ookami's face as Chiyo's eyes slowly opened, and she up down at her.  
"Did you..." Chiyo murmured, "...you better not have called me broken-brained..."  
"Oh, put a sock in it," Ookami snapped, but she grinned hugely.  
"Chiyo, you're awake!" Shippo exclaimed happily.  
'_Woah, can't believe _that_ worked_,' Ookami thought, as Chiyo came more to her senses. Suddenly she noticed the yelling and fighting around her. "What...what's happening?" she asked, and she sat up abruptly, gasping when she saw the destruction around her. "Ah! Wait, there's a demon!! I saw it!!"  
"Yeah yeah, we know," Ookami told her, glancing at the chaos. "You got knocked out knocking _me_ outta the way. That was a stupid thing to do too!" Ookami added, glaring at her friend. Chiyo blinked, then glared back as she remembered.  
"Just thank me that you're alive," Chiyo snapped, beginning to stand. She stopped though when she finally noticed the pressure on her leg.  
"Gyah!!" she exclaimed. "There's a tree on my leg!!"  
"We can't move you," Shippo told her. "It's too heavy!"  
"Well we can't just sit here!!" Chiyo yelled, leaning towards the trunk and yanking at her leg. Ookami blinked, stunned.  
"Wait, you can still move it?" she asked in awe. "You leg'd have to be crushed!"  
"Well it's not crushed, not even broken!" Chiyo yelled at her, yanking harder. "Dammit, it won't come out!"  
"Look out!" Shippo suddenly exclaimed, and both girls ducked as a tentacle swished its blade over their heads. Ookami jumped up and swung her sword, again blindly, and she managed to stick the blade into the slimy limb. The tentacle jarred and pulled back, but the sword was still jammed into it. Ookami lost her grip and the tentacle pulled the blade from her hands and snaked off.  
"Ah!! My sword!!" she cried, as it disappeared with all the other writhing tentacles.  
"We have bigger issues here!" Chiyo yelled at her, glaring at the trunk.  
"I just have to do everything myself," she growled to herself, and she felt her claws extend outwards. Feeling her frustration run through her, she swiped out at the tree, and her claws dug through the tender bark, a chunk flying off. Slashing again, even more wood went flying. Chiyo continued to tear at the wood, her strikes becoming more and more ferocious. Ookami and Shippo watched in silence. 'She _looks...like a real half-demon_,' Ookami thought in shock, as Chiyo began to growl as she slashed at the trunk. '_She doesn't look human at all._'  
Chunks of wood flew off of the trunk in all directions, and Chiyo noticed her claws were beginning to glow yellow. Harder and harder she clawed at the log, and her growling grew louder and coarser.  
Suddenly another tentacle flew out of the darkness, and it grabbed onto one of Chiyo's arms. Chiyo snarled at it in surprise, then cried out in pain as it began to turn a dark purple colour.  
"Chiyo!!" Ookami yelled, as the dark, purple energy began to course into her arm. Chiyo thrashed her arm about, desperately trying to knock the tentacle off. Abruptly she raised her arm high above her head, and Ookami and Shippo jumped back as she swung her arm down with immense force.

"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!!" Chiyo found herself yelling, and a great flash of yellow engulfed her visions, followed by a crash. She was thrown back by the force of her strike, and she felt the tentacle fly off her as she tumbled backwards and landed in a heap. She lay there, and suddenly her right wrist felt extremely hot. She grabbed her deep sleeve and yanked it back, and saw the watch whirring and flashing a million different things at her, heating up her wrist and now her forearm. She grabbed it and clawed at it madly, but it wouldn't budge, or stop heating up. Chiyo scrunched her eyes shut as her wrist felt like it was on fire, and she cried out helplessly.

"Chiyo!"

Chiyo started at the voice so close to her, then jerked around and snarled viciously at whoever was there. Ookami jumped back at Chiyo's growl, startled by her friend's reaction. Chiyo stopped when she realised who it was, blinking and in shock herself. "Ooka...mi?" she said slowly, and she noticed the heat from the watch gradually began to die down.  
Ookami stared at her strangely, then Shippo landed on her shoulder and snapped her out of her daze. "Good work Chiyo!" he said to her. "You completely blew that trunk apart!"  
"I...what?" Chiyo asked, and looked over to the trunk. She gasped when she saw that it was now slashed in half, and broken chunks of wood were still tumbling down off it.  
"But c'mon, we gotta move!" Shippo cried, turning on Ookami's shoulder. Ookami and Chiyo looked around, and saw that Kagome, InuYasha, Miroku, Sango and Kirara were now the only ones left fighting the demon. All the other villagers had been scared off or were too injured to fight.  
Chiyo paused, then suddenly jumped up. "C'mon, let's go help!" she yelled, running off towards the battle. Ookami started, then followed after her. Shippo swiftly jumped off Ookami's shoulder as she came closer to the demon. "I'll, uh, just, check on the other villagers!" he called as he ran off in the opposite direction of the fighting.  
"Guys!" Chiyo called, as they approached the group, then she jumped into the air to avoid a thrashing tentacle. She turned in the air, facing the monster.  
"Chiyo!" she heard Sango call. "Its weak point is its eyes! Aim for them!"  
"Got it!" Chiyo called, and she spotted InuYasha to the side of her, who had jumped up with the Tessaiga.  
"Take this!!" he cried, swinging his sword down and jamming it into the demon's largest eye. The demon roared with pain, and began to shake violently, trying to fling InuYasha off. InuYasha lost his balance and began to shake with it, only keeping in the air by gripping onto the Tessaiga's hilt.  
Chiyo dodged two tentacles, then landed on top of the demon's massive head. "Here!" she yelled to InuYasha, holding out her hand to hoist him up. He reached out for it, but the demon roared again and raised all its tentacles, crashing them all down at once. Chiyo heard cries from below as the rest tried to dodge them, and InuYasha lost his grip on the sword and went flying.  
The demon, satisfied InuYasha was off of him, reached one tentacle up to grasp the Tessaiga and pull it out of its eye. Without thinking, Chiyo brought her arm down again and cried, "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!!" Again the yellow streaks of her claws slashed out and the tentacle was left in shreds. As the demon bellowed in pain Chiyo jumped of its head, grabbing the Tessaiga on the way down and dragging it across the beast's eye. It roared even louder as its eye was sliced open, and Chiyo yanked the last of the blade out and landed on the ground below.  
"I believe this is yours!!" she hollered to InuYasha, who had landed on the other side of the demon, and she threw the sword through the air towards him. He caught it with one hand as Kagome ran up beside him. "Move away from it!!" he hollered back, as Kagome aimed her bow and he raised the Tessaiga. Chiyo paused, then started when she realised what they were about to do. She turned heel and sprinted away from the demon, spotting Ookami fending off another tentacle with her sword.  
"C'mon, we gotta move!!" she yelled at her, grabbing her arm and dragging her away. Ookami stumbled and tried to find her footing as Chiyo ran faster then she could keep up with.  
"You found your sword, I see?!" Chiyo asked as they dived for the bushes, where Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippo were already waiting.  
"Yeah, it was on the-" she began when InuYasha's cry of "WIND SCAR!!" overpowered her. A huge flash of white, yellow and pink light lit up the whole surrounding, and the demon gave one last roar as it was engulfed in the combined attack of the Tessaiga and Kagome's sacred arrow. The sound of explosions filled the air, and Chiyo covered her overly-sensitive ears trying to block out the sound. Dust flew into the groups eyes, temporarily blinding them, but then the crashes died down and the lights faded.  
"-ground," Ookami finished, rubbing the dust out of her eyes.

* * *

The next morning, Chiyo stood among the rubble in the village, overlooking as the villagers picked up the last larger bits of debris. They clapped each other on the back and praised each other for their hard work, but Chiyo knew it would take a whole load of time and effort to get the village cleaned, much less re-built. The demon had destroyed nearly every hut in sight, and all the villagers had slept together in the few that had remained, crammed together and left with no breathing space.  
Chiyo turned when she heard Ookami walking up behind her. "Do we really have to leave now?" she asked, stopping beside her. "I mean, can we really leave the villagers to clean up by themselves?"  
"Yes," Chiyo said firmly. "We have to."  
Ookami paused, and Chiyo knew she was running over the conversation they had had last night, as she was too.

* * *

_"I can't believe you used Iron Reaver Soul Stealer," InuYasha said, sounding confused, awed and a little ticked off all together. "You completely screwed it up last time you tried."  
"Shut up!" Chiyo snapped awkwardly, remembering that the last time she'd tried she'd made a complete idiot of herself. Ookami, unknown to Chiyo, flinched at the mention of the attack.  
"Hey InuYasha, can I talk to Chiyo for a sec?" she asked, and InuYasha looked at her strangely. There was a pause, then InuYasha shrugged and left the two alone.  
"What's wrong?" Chiyo asked when he had left. Ookami looked worried about something.  
"You."  
"Huh?" Chiyo said, sweatdropping in confusion. "Ha ha, very funny. Now what's wrong?"  
"You are," Ookami repeated, looking straight at her. Chiyo started slightly at the intense gaze she received.  
"...what do you mean by that?" Chiyo asked, concerned now. "Did I do something bad?"  
"Well, no, but..." Ookami trailed off, breaking her stare. There was silence.  
"Hey." Chiyo nudged Ookami's leg. "Tell me."  
Ookami paused, then looked up again.  
"When you tried to get your leg free," she said, "you were attacking the wood."  
"Yeah, it's sort of a half-demon thing," Chiyo said jokingly, but Ookami didn't smile.  
"But you were growling as well," she said. "And then when that tentacle grabbed you..."  
Chiyo blinked. "What tentacle?" she asked, and Ookami glanced at her.  
"Remember that tentacle that grabbed your arm, and then you used Iron Reaver Soul Stealer?"  
Chiyo paused. "I can remember using Iron Reaver Soul Stealer," she said slowly, "but a tentacle didn't attack me."  
Ookami paused again. "Wha...what are you talking about?" she said, smiling nervously. "Don't you remember? A tentacle grabbed you. And there was this purple stuff that went into your arm."  
Chiyo stared at her. Ookami's awkward smile vanished. "You...you...remember? You...you don't...do you...remember?"  
Shock and confusion flittered across Chiyo's face. "Are you sure that happened?" she asked, fear creeping into her voice. Ookami nodded. "But," Chiyo said, looking down, "I can't...remember that...happening..."  
"...what happened after that?" Chiyo demanded, and Ookami frowned.  
"When you used Iron Reaver Soul Stealer," she continued, "the trunk exploded, and we all went flying back."  
"I remember that," Chiyo said.  
"And then I came up to you, and you were tossing on the ground and crying out." Chiyo looked up at Ookami again. "I said your name, and you turned around and...snarled at me."  
"What?" Chiyo exclaimed, starting. "I snarled at you?"  
"Yeah," Ookami replied, breathing out heavily. "And then I backed off a bit, because..."  
"Because what?" Chiyo asked, pleading her to continue.  
"Because your eyes were red."  
"H-...huh?!" Chiyo whimpered, overtaken by fright. "My eyes...red...what?!"  
"They were," Ookami said softly, as Chiyo slumped backwards, trembling. "But it was only for an instant. Then you came to. But...it was like you were an animal for a moment. I didn't know what to think."  
"I can only remember...the watch burning."  
Ookami looked up and at Chiyo, who was now once again staring at her right wrist.  
"It was burning like hell," she said, "and all I wanted was for it to get off."  
"So you think the watch has something to do with it?" Ookami asked, as Chiyo ran her hand over her sleeve that covered the object.  
"It has to," she said. "Naraku wants it, and when I acted like that, it started burning. They have to be connected. Either way," she said, looking up, "I want this wretched thing off of me, and fast. And we're going back home tomorrow morning, too. There's been enough drama for one night."  
Ookami paused, and Chiyo wondered if she was going to protest. But she stayed silent and nodded in agreement._

_

* * *

_

"We'll be back to help you guys clear up, we promise," Chiyo reassured the group, as both her and Ookami stepped into the portal. "We can't leave you to clean all the mess."  
"You better be back soon then," InuYasha snapped, his arms folded.  
"I'll teach you how to use that sword of yours when you return, Ookami!" Sango told her happily. Ookami smiled at her, but Chiyo saw her grimace as she turned into the portal.  
"Bye!" Kagome called as they both disappeared.  
A few moments later of twisting, turning and reverting, her and Ookami landed on top of each other in the upstairs area.  
"Ouch, get off of me!" Chiyo yelled, pushing Ookami off her.  
"Ah! Don't be so rough!"  
"You're one to talk!"  
"Just shut up!"  
"You shut up!"  
"Truce then!"  
"Fine with me!"  
Both girls began laughing.  
"Ah, my back, ow," Chiyo grumbled, as she stood up slowly.  
"Can't you fix that portal or something to make it less...bumpy?" Ookami asked, getting up equally as slow.  
"As if I'd know how," Chiyo said, glancing outside. The family car still wasn't back. '_Still the same time here, I guess_,' Chiyo thought, grateful. "Anyway, we have school tomorrow, so you better get going home."  
Ookami opened her mouth to argue, but Chiyo shot her a warning glare, so she shut up.  
"Fine then," she sighed, beginning to trudge downstairs. "I'll see you tomorrow then, I guess."  
"Yeah, see ya."

* * *

The next day, Chiyo arrived to school later than usual. She rushed into class, handing the math teacher a note before rushing over to her desk.  
"What took you?" Ookami hissed at her, as Chiyo plonked down next to her desk. "Don't tell me you-"  
"No, I did NOT go back there," Chiyo snapped back, as quietly as she could. "I was so tired from yesterday that I got up late."  
Ookami didn't look convinced.  
"...and then I fell down the stairs," Chiyo grudgingly admitted. Ookami chewed on the end of her pencil to stop herself from laughing.  
"So when _do_ you plan on returning?" Ookami whispered to her, getting out her homework sheet.  
"I dunno, but I won't leave you behind...crap, we had homework? I totally forgot...here, lemme look off yours..."  
Ookami subtly moved the sheet into the middle of their desks.  
"Well then, how do you reckon we're gonna help the villagers clear up?" she asked quietly. "I can't really help much..."  
"Relax, they just want help moving the larger things outta the way, they don't expect us to fix the huts."  
"Mmkay then..."  
"Chiyo," the teacher called, "the answer to question four, please?"  
"Hm?" Chiyo looked up, then back down at the sheet. " Oh, 5 arrows plus 6 Tessaiga's equals 11at."  
The whole class went silent. Ookami froze beside Chiyo, and the teacher looked at Chiyo in shock through her glasses. Chiyo paused, then started suddenly as she realised what she'd just said.  
"Ah, no, I mean, 5a!! Plus 6t...equals...11at..."  
The teacher stared at her for a long moment, then she finally looked away. "Correct," she said sternly. "And make sure you're not in another world when you answer next time."  
'_If only she knew_,' both Chiyo and Ookami thought, both grimacing at each other.

* * *

Later on in IT, Chiyo skimmed over the incredibly complicated vocabulary list the class was supposed to research and find the definitions to by the end of the class. She sighed, then turned to her computer and opened up the Internet. She glanced at Ookami's computer, where she had already set up several tabs and was sifting through InuYasha fan sites while occasionally checking the teacher's location in the room. Chiyo smirked, then opened a tab of her own.  
"I guess you're not planning on doing work like Ookami too, huh?" her friend Machi whispered to her from the computer on her right. Chiyo grinned, shaking her head. She turned back to her computer and put her hand in her pocket to grab her USB. She frowned when she couldn't find it, and ended up pulling everything out and laying it on the desk in front of her. There was a bracelet, a set of keys, a dog whistle, a pen, and chocolate wrapper. Chiyo tried not to smack her head onto the computer screen when she realised instead of grabbing the stuff from her room this morning, she'd grabbed the random stuff off the kitchen bench instead in her rush to get to school. Rolling her eyes, she stuffed the odd collection of trinkets back into her pocket, bringing up Google onto the screen. Chiyo paused, wondering if she should actually do work for once, or try and find some answers to what was really on her mind. She sighed, checked where the teacher was, then quickly typed 'demon inuyasha' into the text box, hitting enter. Image results were the first thing that came up, then next was some sort of game tournament on Adult Swim. Then another game, then video results, then a Wikipedia page. She double clicked on the wiki page.  
"Looking at more InuYasha?" Machi asked, seeing the page pop up.  
"Yeah, just seeing-"  
"Seeing what, girls?"  
Both girls jumped out of their skin at the adult voice behind them, and Chiyo automatically hit the back button, quickly bringing the Google page back up.  
"Just seeing, Miss," Chiyo began awkwardly to the teacher behind her, "if Machi needed to...go to the toilet! Right, Machi!"  
"Yes, Miss!" Machi agreed, thankfully catching on. "It's urgent. May we be excused?"  
The teacher raised her eyebrows, but she sighed in annoyance and let them leave. Ookami tried not to laugh as the two left the computer lab.  
"That was too close," Chiyo gasped, stepping out of the lab and into the school library.  
"You're telling me," Machi agreed again, plonking down onto one of the seats. Chiyo sat down facing her.  
"We'll just wait out here until it seems like we've been gone long enough," Chiyo said, and Machi nodded. Chiyo looked out behind Machi, at the schoolyard outside the library. The front walls of the library were all made of glass, so you could see much of the school from there. She looked over the stairway leading up to the classrooms, the low wall surrounding the walkway, the large tree overhanging the wooden benches. She took a double take, though, when she thought she saw something move in the tree.  
"I hope she didn't see what you were looking at before," Machi commented, stretching her arms out in front of her.  
"Yeah," Chiyo replied, peering harder at the tree. "Me...too..."  
Suddenly Chiyo jerked in her seat, and gripped onto the table in front of her. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish as she tried to take in what she was seeing. Machi frowned at her. "You alright?" she asked, but Chiyo couldn't look away.  
Because, peering right back at her, crouched in the tree, was InuYasha.

* * *

Laura: 8D  
Ookami: How long is she going to stay like that?  
Sango: Maybe the wind changed when she was smiling...  
Ookami: You stay away from me!  
Chiyo: See ya next time! Review please!


	12. Chapter 12: The Mystery

Laura: Yush!! Another chapter before Christmas!!

Kagome: This is the fastest you've ever uploaded.

Laura: I'm aiming for 5 chapters over the summer holidays. This is the 2nd!

InuYasha: Ten bucks says she doesn't accomplish that goal.

Chiyo: You're on!

* * *

Chapter 12: The Mystery

_Previously..._

"_We'll just wait out here until it seems like we've been gone long enough," Chiyo said, and Machi nodded. Chiyo looked out behind Machi, at the schoolyard outside the library. The front walls of the library were all made of glass, so you could see much of the school from there. She looked over the stairway leading up to the classrooms, the low wall surrounding the walkway, the large tree overhanging the wooden benches. She took a double take, though, when she thought she saw something move in the tree._

"_I hope she didn't see what you were looking at before," Machi commented, stretching her arms out in front of her._

"_Yeah," Chiyo replied, peering harder at the tree. "Me...too..." Suddenly Chiyo jerked in her seat, and gripped onto the table in front of her. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish as she tried to take in what she was seeing. Machi frowned at her. "You alright?" she asked, but Chiyo couldn't look away. Because, peering right back at her, crouched in the tree, was InuYasha._

_

* * *

_

Chiyo continued to gawk at the half demon outside, unable to comprehend what she was looking at. InuYasha peered back at her, then blinked as he saw she was looking at him. He gave a nod of his head and a small wave, as if to say 'Hi to you to.'

"Chiyo?" Machi asked, beginning to turn around. "Watcha looking at?"

"Gah, no-nothing!!" Chiyo practically yelled, making Machi jump back and look at her. "It's...it's just..."

'_Distract her distract her distract her distract her distract her distract her distract her distract her,_' she thought desperately, trying to find something to say to avoid Machi looking behind her.

Suddenly a flash of red crossed the glass outside, catching Chiyo's sight again. She choked back a yell of panic when she saw InuYasha had jumped out of the tree and landed on the low wall next to the path to the stairs, right in front of the library windows. He was waving his arms around and frowning at her, as though he was trying to say, 'Helloooooo, I'm over heeeeeeere...'

"I...I..." Chiyo tried to say something, anything, to distract Machi and herself. "I...have a dog whistle!!" she yelled, making Machi and the passing librarian jump. The librarian glared furiously at her and told her to shut up before walking off.

"What the heck do you mean, a dog whistle?" Machi asked, looking more confused than not.

"Here!" Chiyo exclaimed as quietly as she could, digging her hand into her pocket as InuYasha continued to wave at her from outside. Her fist closed around the dog whistle, and she thrust it into Machi's hands. "Look, see? It's brand new, we got it yesterday!"

Machi raised her eyebrows. "But you don't have a dog," she said bluntly.

"Ah, yeah, but Kyon really wants one, so he got that to...'prepare,' as he called it," Chiyo said, laughing nervously. Her eyes darted to InuYasha and back, who was now stamping his feet in an attempt to catch her attention. "Blow it if you don't believe me!"

Machi paused, then shrugged and brought the whistle to her lips. She scrunched her eyes shut as she blew into it hard, but no noise that the girls could hear came out. Chiyo glanced at InuYasha again, and to her surprise he had his hands clenched over his ears and a petrified expression on his face. Chiyo watched in shock as InuYasha lost his footing and fell behind the wall, just as Machi stopped blowing.

"I guess only dogs can hear it," Machi commented, handing it back. Chiyo paused, then nodded, quickly standing up.

"We should head back now," she said, stuffing the whistle back in her pocket. Machi nodded and got up, walking back to the computer lab. Chiyo spotted InuYasha's hand reaching up onto the top of the wall and dragging himself up. As his head appeared Chiyo made frantic waving motions behind Machi to him, trying to get the message 'PISS OFF AND STAY HIDDEN' to him before she rushed back to the classroom.

Chiyo scuttled inside the lab after Machi, head down, sitting hurriedly back into her computer chair. Ookami glanced at her as she sat down, then stared at her shocked white face.

"What's wrong?" Ookami asked, quietly so the teacher wouldn't hear. Chiyo fleeting looked at her, then abruptly grabbed her worksheet and a pencil, flipping the sheet over so it was blank. She quickly scribbled some words down onto the paper, then slid the sheet over to Ookami. Ookami looked down and read the note.

'_Promise that whatever I tell you, you won't make a scene!_'

Ookami blinked, skimming over the odd note again. She looked up at Chiyo and nodded, giving her a questioning look. Chiyo bit her lip as she grabbed the paper back, hurriedly writing another sentence onto the sheet. She glanced to make sure the teacher wasn't watching, and then handed the page back to Ookami, who read the second note.

"WHAT?!!!!" Ookami shrieked, jumping out of her seat and dropping the note. The whole class jumped violently from shock, as well as a few passing students outside. Ookami clapped a hand over her mouth, also shocked at her outburst. Chiyo covered her head with her hand and shook her head, mortified by her friend's reaction.

"Miss Banaku!" the teacher exclaimed, and the whole class tensed as Ookami snapped to attention.

"Yuh...y-yes Miss?" Ookami squeaked, as the class prayed the teacher wouldn't bite her head off.

"Could you please explain to us the reason why you needed to scream like that?"

"I...well...y'see...my computer kinda...screwed up on me..." she stuttered, gesturing to the computer behind her. "I think I lost all of my work, here, uh...lemme just check again..."

She rushed around to face the screen, quickly opening her hard drive and looking through her school folders. "Ah, no, wait! False alarm! Everything's here...it's all good!" Ookami turned back to the teacher, smiling awkwardly. The teacher continued to glare at her. She opened her mouth, most likely to deal some sort of punishment to Ookami, but she was interrupted when the bell suddenly rang. All the students jumped up, grabbed their books and raced out of the lab, eager to avoid the teacher's ranting. Ookami and Chiyo were halfway through the library before the teacher could even turn around.

"What the HELL do you mean, InuYasha's here?!" Ookami hissed at Chiyo, looking over her shoulder to see if the teacher was coming after her.

"He's here!" Chiyo wailed back, quietly as she passed the librarian. "I just saw him outside with Machi!"

"MACHI saw him?!"

"No, but she nearly did!"

"Where the hell was he?!" Ookami demanded as they walked out of the library.

"In the tree," Chiyo said weakly, pointing to the oak in the middle of the yard. "But then he jumped over here," she continued, pointing to the wall as they headed towards it. "And he fell behind it, that's when I had to come back..."

"You just LEFT him out here?!" Ookami thundered at her, causing groups of students to turn and stare.

"Machi was about to spot him! I had to!" she moaned, as they rounded the corner to the walkway. "He landed here-"

Chiyo stopped when she looked behind the wall, catching Ookami off-guard, who crashed into her.

"Landed where?" Ookami insisted, after she'd regained her balance. Chiyo pointed at the ground.

"There," she said, pointing to the ground where he had fallen. It was now completely half-demon free. "Thank goodness he got the message," Chiyo mumbled, turning to Ookami.

"Where did he go then?" Ookami whispered desperately.

"I don't...I don't know..." Chiyo whimpered, yanking on her hair in frustration. "But we're gonna find him, c'mon!"

She grabbed Ookami's wrist and raced off up the stairs, leaving Ookami trying to stay upright while being dragged behind her. Chiyo yanked her around the Art classrooms and past the study hall into the little empty space behind the storage rooms.

"How are we gonna find him if we're hiding back here, is your brain broken?!" Ookami growled.

"Shut up, will you," Chiyo shot back as she once again stuffed her hand into her pocket. Pulling out the dog whistle, she earned a perplexed look from Ookami.

"Is that a whistle?" Ookami asked in a baffled voice, staring at it. "What in the seven...are you freaking insane?!"

Chiyo was starting to worry that it was _Ookami's_ sanity in danger of freaking.

"Look, could you please relax, you're only making this worse, and it's not just a whistle, it's a _dog_ whistle!"

"Oh great, it's a _dog_ whistle. That's just _so_ much better. We're saved! Chiyo has a dog whistle! There's no need to worry anymo-"

Chiyo shut Ookami up by kicking her hard in the shin.

"I warned you," Chiyo muttered, as her friend clutched her leg in pain on the ground. Chiyo rolled her eyes and brought the whistle to her mouth, then blew. She couldn't hear the high-pitched airy sound it was making, but she continued to blow. She was still blowing as the feeling returned into Ookami's leg and she began to stand. Eventually Chiyo's blowing faltered as she lost her breath, and the whistle dropped from her lips as she sucked in a deep gasp. Ookami stared at her, waiting for some sign of success, as Chiyo looked up at the rooftops around her, for some sign of red. After a few minutes, Chiyo sighed, then threw the dog whistle at the wall in aggravation.

"He could be anywhere by now," Chiyo growled, more to herself than Ookami. "I don't know how to find him. For all we know someone could've seen him."

"Don't say that," Ookami snapped, but her voice was gentle. "He wouldn't have got himself caught. He's not _that_ stupid."

"Well it's great to know someone doesn't think I'm a complete idiot."

Both girls jumped out of their skin at the male voice, then jerked their heads up towards the roof of the storage room. "InuYasha!" they both exclaimed when they saw the frowning animal-eared boy above them. Chiyo hastily looked around to see if anyone was nearby, then gestured for InuYasha to get down. He jumped swiftly off the roof and landed next to the two, standing with his arms crossed and a scowl plastered across his face. It was quiet for a few seconds as the three stared at each other. Then, Ookami's sanity freaked.

"WHAT THE FRIGGING HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!!!!!" she screeched, and Chiyo could've sworn her eardrum burst. InuYasha looked even worse off, yelping and grabbing his ears tenderly.

"Will you shut up?!" InuYasha growled at her, holding his fist up threateningly, as Chiyo again checked if anyone was behind them again.

"Not until you tell us how and why the hell you're here!!" Ookami growled backed, raising her fist in unison.

"I think you owe me an apology first!"

"Fat chance, Inu-chan!"

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

"And who's gonna make me?"

"How'd you like me to make you a head shorter?"

"Go ahead and try, mutt!"

"You sound just like that nutcase Koga!!"

"Well at least wolves are better than dogs!!"

"Guys," Chiyo said sweetly, turning around to find both of them at each other's throats. "I would really appreciate it if you would both stop arguing like a married couple, or else I might have to cut all your toes off slowly to teach you a lesson."

Ookami and InuYasha whipped their heads around to look at her, mortified by her statement.

"Fists down, please," she said, smiling, and both of them dropped their arms immediately. "Thank you."

"Where did she learn something like that?" InuYasha whispered nervously to Ookami.

"Trust me, she knows more than that," Ookami replied. "And she'll do it all too."

InuYasha gulped.

Abruptly the smile vanished off Chiyo's face, just as InuYasha's ears twitched simultaneously. Chiyo spun round, and now Ookami could hear it; footsteps and voices. "Shit!!" both girls hissed, and they grabbed onto InuYasha and thrust him into the closest thing that was there.

Most unfortunately for InuYasha, it was a bin.

Not a second later two teachers came around the corner into their hiding place, and they both stopped when they saw Chiyo and Ookami.

"Girls," the male teacher asked, "what are you two doing here?"

"Nothing!" both girls chimed in unison, smiling as best they could. "Can we help you with anything?" Ookami continued.

"Well, no," the female teacher replied, "but you _are_ blocking the corridor to the staff room."

"Ah, our bad," Chiyo flustered, and both girls swiftly hopped out of the way to let the teachers by. The two gave the girls puzzling looks as they walked past them and into the corridor.

Chiyo and Ookami waited until they were out of earshot, then Chiyo heaved the lid of the large bin open. Coughs and gasps for clean air were emitted from it as InuYasha scrambled out of the toxic encasement.

"Who the HELL stores all their rubbish in one place like this?!" he wheezed, flopping onto the ground and scraping rotten fruit scraps off of him in disgust.

"Who cares, what's important is that we need to hide you!" Ookami hissed, yanking him up off the pavement. Chiyo looked around the corner and gestured for them to follow her.

The three looked an odd group, creeping down the narrow walkway around the classrooms, one short, one frustrated and one covered in rubbish. Chiyo checked the next corner, then flustered at them to get back when she saw a group of students heading towards them. Ookami grabbed InuYasha and again shoved him into the closest thing around.

Luckily it wasn't a bin this time.

Unluckily, it was the girl's toilets.

The four students past Chiyo and Ookami, giving them odd looks as they stood there grinning at them and standing in front of the toilet door. When they had past, Ookami grabbed InuYasha and jerked him back out, and they saw he was holding his nose.

"It stinks in there!" he said in a nasally voice.

"Not as much as you," Chiyo commented, which earned her an evil glare.

After much sneaking, corner checking, and panicked shoving, the three finally managed to make it outside the school gates without InuYasha being seen.

"InuYasha," Chiyo began, as Ookami kept watch, "as much as I'd like to ask you how the hell you got here, this isn't the place. If someone sees you-"

"I didn't want to come here!" he said frustratingly. "Your mother kicked me outta the house!"

"She- what?" Chiyo gawked at him. "That dimwitted...dimwit! Argh..." Chiyo rubbed her temple, trying to figure out what to do. "Look, can you find some sort of hiding place until school ends? Like, on the roof where absolutely no-one can see you?"

"Sure," InuYasha said, ears twitching as the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. "But I swear, if I hear that wretched whistle again..."

"Don't worry, you won't," Chiyo promised. "Cause I dropped it and now I have no idea where it is. Just, stay hidden, and we'll meet you behind those classrooms again, okay?"

"Whatever," InuYasha mumbled, and he suddenly launched himself off the ground and over Chiyo's head, making her squeak in surprise and loose her balance, and she fell back onto the ground with a thud. Ookami turned and watched as he landed on the roof and crept off to find a secluded spot on top of the buildings.

"Way to go, Tangles," Ookami said, smirking at her friend on the ground.

"Shut up and help me up," Chiyo retorted, rubbing her behind

* * *

Chiyo and Ookami both sat at their desks, fiddling with their stationery and not listening to a word their English teacher was saying. They both stared at the clock, which showed the time 3:17, three minutes until school ended. Chiyo was swinging her legs back and forth in impatience, while Ookami was trying to be the first person to successfully fast forward time by intently glaring at the clock hands.

When the bell rang, both girls jumped out of their seats, grabbed their stuff and were out the door before any of the other girls had even closed their books.

"Finally," InuYasha complained, as Chiyo and Ookami rounded the corner. "What is even the point of this school thing again?"

"Demon slaying isn't a possible occupation here," Chiyo said exasperatingly. "Now how are we gonna smuggle you outta here and onto a train?"

"What's a train?" InuYasha asked.

"We could take the bus, maybe," Ookami offered, but Chiyo shook her head, as both girls dropped their heavy schoolbags together.

"That's even worse. I could call my mum, but..."

"Are you kidding?" Ookami scoffed. "She doesn't want to share a _house_ with him, let alone a confined space like a car."

"But how else can we get him out?"

"Try her then. Betcha 10 bucks she'll say NO."

"It's worth a try!"

"Then do it!"

"...you talk to her."

"Excuse me? FYI, she's _your_ mum!"

"But she'll be nicer to you!"

"It won't change her answer!"

Both girls abruptly stopped their argument as they were both grabbed by their jumpers and hoisted into the air.

"Uwaaaah!!" they both exclaimed, as InuYasha positioned them both under each of his arms.

"InuYasha, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Ookami asked, flailing like a fish. Chiyo mimicked her actions, noticing InuYasha had both their schoolbags swung over his shoulder.

"Taking you home," InuYasha stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Then, without another word, he launched himself into the air and was gliding over the school buildings like a big red bird.

"Gyaaaaaaah, not again!!" Ookami shrieked, as she grabbed onto InuYasha's side with a vice grip. "Put us down, dammit!!"

InuYasha ignored her as he hopped over one building after another. Chiyo, already used to jumping high in the air, was getting over the shock a lot faster than her flailing friend.

"InuYasha, please be careful!" she yelled over the noise of the rushing wind.

"Oh please!" he yelled back. "As if I'd drop you!"

"It's not that I'm worried about, you moronic moron! Don't let anyone see you!"

"InuYasha, land!" Ookami shouted over them. "Land land land land!!"

"Does she ever shut up?" InuYasha asked Chiyo sarcastically.

"I've seen her quiet twice in my whole life," Chiyo replied, rolling her eyes. "Ookami, kindly shut the hell up."

"But we're gonna fall, I just know it!!" she cried back.

"Can I knock her out?" InuYasha asked, and Ookami stared at him with a petrified look.

"I'll let you if she keeps screaming," Chiyo said dangerously, glaring at her friend. Ookami finally took the hint and shut her mouth.

"Anyway, InuYasha," Chiyo continued, as he jumped off from another building, "what's important is how you actually got here! InuYasha, how in hell did you get here from your world?!"

"Geez, it takes you long enough to ask important things," InuYasha complained, as both girls looked up at him. "You wanna know? I came here through the portal."

Chiyo paused. Then, "Wait, what? The…portal?"

"But…how?" Ookami asked, frowning at him. "That can only be opened from Chiyo's watch!"

"Yeah, well, it was right after you left," InuYasha continued. "You jumped through the portal, and we waited for it to disappear, like all the times before. But…it didn't."

"It…didn't close…?!" Chiyo repeated, eyes widening. "But…why?!"

"Keh, how the hell should I know?" InuYasha replied, jumping over a particularly high building. "All I know is that it stayed there. We watched it for the whole night, and it didn't disappear. We had no idea what to do."

"So, then…" Ookami said slowly, "you…went _through_ it?"

"What else should I have done?" InuYasha retorted, glaring at her.

"Eyes ahead of you!" Ookami yelped, and he quickly looked forward.

"Why would it not disappear?" Chiyo muttered to herself, replaying how she had last travelled through the portal yesterday. "I didn't do anything different…pressed the same buttons…travelled the same way…how could it…?"

"Hate to break it to you," InuYasha said, "but that watch thing is messed up. I can still smell that bastard Naraku all over it."

"Look, if I could get it off me, I would've done it long before now," Chiyo replied, flicking her fluttering hair out of her face. "But it's stuck on me."

"Lemme slash it off with the Tessaiga," InuYasha suggested.

"NO!!" both girls yelled at once, and InuYasha wavered in the air.

"Alright then, it was just an idea!" he defended, regaining his balance and launching off another building. Chiyo looked around and started to recognize the houses around her, which meant they were close to her home.

"So you went through the portal by yourself?" Ookami asked, and Chiyo suddenly had visions of Kagome and the others hijacking her house.

"Yeah," InuYasha replied, and he seemed to look nervous for a second. "Then I arrived at Chiyo's house and her mother booted me out." He glared at Chiyo.

"How the heck is that my fault?!" Chiyo exclaimed.

"I didn't say it was," he said, though he continued to glare at her.

"Uh, InuYasha?" Ookami said, tugging at his robe.

"What?"

"You kinda missed Chiyo's house."

"Ah." InuYasha abruptly turned in midair, and Ookami clung to him for dear life at the sudden change in direction. Chiyo tried not to laugh at her terrified face.

InuYasha landed in Chiyo's front yard, dropping both the girls carelessly onto the grass.

"I thought you said you wouldn't drop us," Chiyo growled at him, as Ookami looked about ready to kiss the dirt in gratitude for being on the ground again.

Both girls stood up and the three began to walk to the front door. Just as Chiyo reached for the door handle InuYasha started and his ears perked right up.

"What?" Ookami asked, and he frowned.

"No…" he said to himself, "it…couldn't be…"

Chiyo paused, then she slowly opened the door and walked inside, watching InuYasha quickly follow in after her. He pushed past Chiyo and walk hurriedly into the kitchen, and both girls quickly followed suit. They both entered and nearly ran into him, as he had frozen just in front of the doorway.

"What is it?" Chiyo asked, then she suddenly spotted her mum sitting at the dining table. But she wasn't alone.

Kagome, Sango, Shippo and Miroku were all sitting around her.

Miroku had Chiyo's mother's hand in his, and he seemed to be telling a story.

"So, I was just about to ask the woman if she would bear my child when-" he rambled on, then he spotted the three at the doorway, their mouths dropped open to the floor.

"Ah, InuYasha!" he exclaimed happily, waving to him with his free hand. "And Chiyo and Ookami too! How nice of you to join us!"

All three anime fell to the floor in shock.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?!!" Chiyo yelled when she recovered and jumped up off the floor.

"Ah, come now Chiyo, don't be such a party pooper!" Miroku continued, smiling at her. "I must say, your mother is quite the charming lady! Now come, sit on my lap and I will continue to retell my tale!"

Sango shut Miroku up with a quick punch to the head.

"Houshi-sama!!" Ookami cried, as Miroku fell off his chair.

"InuYasha, there you are!" Kagome exclaimed, standing out of her chair. Chiyo saw InuYasha had an extremely panicked expression on his face.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed back, stepping back slightly. "I didn't think you'd come here!"

"But you thought that you'd come here yourself," she replied, and Chiyo saw her expression becoming angrier by the second. Ookami rushed past Chiyo then to help Miroku up off the floor.

"It's not like that!" InuYasha defended, his voice rising an octave higher. "I...I just...it's that..."

"I specifically told you NOT to go through the portal!!" Kagome suddenly thundered, making everyone jump. "But you went ahead and jumped on through anyway!!"

'_Ah_,' Chiyo thought, suddenly realizing. '_I see. He snuck away from them to come here. Go figure._'

"But- Kagome!" he whined, still looking terrified. "It was there all night! What else could we have done?!"

"Don't make me say the 's' word," she growled, and he yelped and cowered behind Chiyo. Chiyo sighed, then turned to Kagome.

"You followed him cause you were worried, right?" Chiyo asked. Kagome suddenly blushed.

"H-huh?" she stuttered, looking embarrassed. "N-n-no! We all came because...we needed to tell him off! He shouldn't have left without us-"

"We don't buy it, Kagome!" Ookami called teasingly from under the table, as she dragged Miroku out from under it. Kagome turned redder, if it was possible.

"Chiyo?" Chiyo's mother squeaked from the end of the table, and Chiyo saw she still looked shocked as a stunned mullet. "Are all of them here for InuYasha?"

"Yeah," Chiyo answered, praying that her mum wouldn't throw a spaz attack. "Uh, my bad?"

Her mum didn't look happy.

"Just come over here," Chiyo said, walking over and dragging her mother off the chair. "Here's your purse, and your car keys, go out and buy yourself something nice." Chiyo began to push her out of the kitchen and towards the front door. "Don't come back for an hour or so; go get a facial, or a new dress, just, treat yourself, kay?" Chiyo ushered her out the door, smiling as she closed it behind her. Her mum still looked like she was suffering from a heart attack as she shut the door.

Running back into the kitchen, Chiyo saw that Miroku had finally come to and Ookami was strangling him in a joyous fangirl hug. InuYasha had taken to hiding behind the couch to avoid Kagome's evil glare. And Sango and Shippo just looked rather startled.

Chiyo sighed. "Sango," she said, and she looked over to her. "Is it true, then? That the portal's still really there? It's stuck?"

"Yeah, it's true," she replied, looking worried. "Kaede and Miroku tried everything to get it to disappear; they cast spells, threw exorcism slips inside, nothing worked."

"And then InuYasha insisted on going through it himself," Shippo piped up, "but Kagome wouldn't let him. Of course, he didn't listen to her."

"Shut up Shippo, you little brat!" InuYasha yelled from his hiding spot behind the couch.

"So when we realised he was gone, Kagome ran straight to the portal and jumped in without looking back," Shippo continued, much to the embarrassment of Kagome.

"Ahaha, Shippo you kidder!" she laughed, suddenly smothering him in a hug that covered his mouth. Chiyo saw out of the corner of her eye that InuYasha was blushing behind the couch as well. Chiyo had to hold back a squeal of fangirl-ism from the classic InuKag scene she was beholding.

"Look, we're all here now, so what does it matter how we got here, huh?" Kagome said, laughing nervously. Chiyo tried not to laugh at her red face.

"Chiyo," Ookami said, and Chiyo looked over to her. She saw the she had finally stopped glomping Miroku and was looking in the direction of the front door.

"Yeah?" Chiyo replied, noticing Ookami's face looked concerned.

"What time does your brother get back from school?" Ookami asked quietly, and Chiyo frowned.

"Uh, about four, why?" Chiyo glanced at the clock. It was five past four.

"And who drops him off?" Ookami asked, even quieter than before.

Chiyo thought she heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway outside.

"My...aunty...along with....my cousins..." Chiyo said slowly, panic suddenly welling up inside her.

"So that's your aunty...pulling up outside...right now?"  
"Yep!" Chiyo squeaked, then suddenly both girls jumped into action.

Chiyo ran over to the couch and grabbed at InuYasha, catching his hair, and yanked him towards her.

"YEOWOWOWOW!!" he cried, trying to free himself, but Chiyo ignored him and rushed him towards the stairway.

"C'mon, we gotta move!!" Ookami hissed desperately at Kagome and the others, helping Miroku up off the floor. Kagome, having been in similar situations like this before, quickly ushered everyone else up to the stairs after InuYasha.

"Quick, InuYasha, get them in my room!" Chiyo hissed at him, hearing footsteps outside the front door and finally letting go of his hair. InuYasha took a second to glare at her before running up and leading the others to Chiyo's bedroom.

The front door swung open just as Kagome raced up the few last stairs. Chiyo and Ookami looked and found Kyon walking through the front door. The flutter of Kagome's green skirt caught his eye as she disappeared upstairs. Kyon stared at where it had been for a second before looking questioningly at his sister.

"Who's here?" he asked, but was quickly silenced by desperate waving hand motions from the two girls. He frowned, then his face was suddenly shocked.

"Is it…" he began, and Chiyo nodded vigorously as Ookami put a finger to her lips. Kyon's face went whiter than snow, and he stayed frozen as Chiyo's two younger cousins and her aunty came up to the front door behind him.

"Hi girls!" Chiyo's aunty Kaeru called. "Kyon, would you be a darl and let us in?"

Kyon stared at his sister for a few more seconds, then slowly moved out of the way to let his relatives into the house.

"Hey Chiyo!" Sayuki, the older cousin, said to her. "How're you?"

"Huh?" Chiyo started, breaking out of her thoughts. "Oh, um, alright…you?"

"Not bad," she replied. "Wish school was over, though!"

"It's only Monday, Sayuki," the younger cousin, Miri, told her.

"I know that!" Sayuki retorted. Miri stuck her tongue out at her.

"Now, now, girls," Kaeru ushered them into the kitchen.

"Uh, you're staying?" Chiyo said, trying not to let the panic creep into her voice.

"Yeah, we have to make dinner for you guys tonight," Kaeru replied. "Is that alright, or would you rather starve?"

"No, that's…fine…" Chiyo answered, and she tried not to groan. Kaeru and her cousins vanished into the kitchen, and Ookami turned to Chiyo.

"We're screwed," she stated.

* * *

After a long and grueling dinner that seemed to drag on for a millennium, Kaeru finally had all the dishes washed and packed away and was gathering up her kids to leave.

"So did you guys enjoy dinner?" she asked, as Sayuki and Miri argued about who got to sit in the front seat.

"Yep," Chiyo, Ookami and Kyon answered in unison. '_Would've enjoyed it more if you weren't here, though_,' Chiyo thought, but resisted from adding it.

"Well, we'll see you around, okay? Oh, tell your mum that I still have her shoes from the other week, right?"

"Got it."

"And your father that we have his suit that your uncle borrowed as well."

"Won't forget."

"Oh, and-" Kaeru began, but suddenly stopped in surprise when she heard a muffled yell that sounded like it came from upstairs. Not a second later there was a loud crash and the whole house seemed to shake. Chiyo's stomach dropped to her feet as her aunty as cousins looked up at the ceiling in shock. Chiyo, along with Ookami and Kyon, looked up as well, and she had to stop herself from crying out when she saw there was now a crack in the ceiling directly above them.  
"What was that?!" Kaeru exclaimed in fright, then suddenly began to walk towards the stairway.

"NO!!" Chiyo, Ookami and Kyon all yelled, grabbing onto her arm. She jumped and stopped, turning around to stare at them. Ookami and Kyon let go of her quickly, but Chiyo still clutched onto her.

"What?" her aunty asked, staring at her in shock.

"That was your birthday present!!" Chiyo blurted out, then immediately regretted. Ookami tried not to facepalm behind her.

"Huh?" Kaeru's expression changed from shocked to confused. "What?"

"It must've fallen!" Chiyo continued, saying things as soon as she thought of them. "It's really heavy, that's probably why it was so loud! I...I'm really sorry, but you can't go up there, I really don't want to ruin the surprise!"

Kaeru straightened up. "But my birthday's not until February."

"I know, but..." Chiyo couldn't think anymore.

"She saw it in the shop!" Kyon intervened, saving Chiyo from her word blank. "She saw it, and knew it was perfect for you, then couldn't help but buy it. You can't ruin the surprise for her!"

"Yeah," Ookami added. "Don't ruin it!"

"Aw mum, don't be like that!" Sayuki said, shaking her head.

"Yeah mum, you can't ruin the surprise like that!" Miri said, waggling her finger.

"Okay, okay, I...I wasn't going to go up!" Kaeru defended. "C'mon then, let's go!"

Her aunty, annoyed at being told off by her own children, quickly hustled them out the front door, almost slamming it behind her.

Chiyo, Ookami and Kyon stared at the door for a few seconds, then they all ran to the stairs at full pelt, crashing into each other as they tried to be the first one up. Eventually they managed to all clamber up the stairs, and they raced around to the corridor that led to Chiyo's room. Ookami reached the door first and slammed it open.

"What the hell are you doing?" Chiyo heard Ookami ask in surprise, and she ran into the room a second later, Kyon following after her. She saw Kagome standing in front of her closet door, trying to force it shut. No-one else was in the room.

"Oh, it's only you guys!" she said in relief, and stopped putting pressure on the closet. The door slammed open and suddenly Sango, Shippo, Miroku and InuYasha all tumbled out, landing in one big heap on the floor.

"Why were they..." Kyon started, pointing at the group in confusion.

"InuYasha heard footsteps coming upstairs, and we panicked," Miroku explained, trying to dislodge his arm from underneath InuYasha's back.

"And what was that crash..." Ookami began, frowning questionably.

"InuYasha got impatient and tried to go downstairs, so Kagome made him sit," Sango told her, dragging her leg off of InuYasha's chest.

"We're sorry if we nearly gave you away!" Shippo apologized, sitting up on InuYasha's face.

"Grrffmmfshh!!" InuYasha growled from underneath Shippo.

"What?" Shippo asked, looking down at him.

"GERROFF MY FACE!! InuYasha yelled, yanking Shippo off of him and sending him flying onto Chiyo's bed. "Dammit, why did everyone land on _me_?!" he complained, sitting up.

Chiyo was suddenly overcome with relief, and she abruptly sank to her knees. Every one jumped as she suddenly went down, and crowded around her.

"Chiyo, what's wrong?" Kagome asked, kneeling down beside her.

"You alright?" Ookami asked, peering down at her.

"Yeah," Chiyo said, rubbing her head and trying to compose herself. "I just can't believe we got out of that."

"Neither can I," Kyon agreed.

"Well, be like Naruto," Ookami told her. "Believe it!"

Chiyo laughed at her pathetic attempt at a joke.

"Chiyo," Miroku asked, sauntering over to her, "we have a favour to ask of you."

"We?" InuYasha and Sango said together. Kagome and Shippo looked equally confused.

"I think I speak for all of us," Miroku continued, ignoring them, "when I request that we may stay the night here."

"Huh?" Sango exclaimed, staring at Miroku. "When did we decide this request?"

"Oh, come now Sango, don't you think we should get to know Chiyo and Kagome's world a little better?" Miroku reasoned, as Kagome helped Chiyo to her feet. "I mean, this world is wondrous! It's so...different! And new!"

"I agree," Shippo added, looking around Chiyo's room. "Although I don't see why you have so many pictures of _us_ up on your wall, Chiyo."

Chiyo turned red, feeling very awkward.

"But that aside," Miroku continued. "We would like to stay. Just one night." He knelt down in front of Chiyo and grabbed her hand, looking as if he was about to propose to her. "Please, dear Chiyo?"

Chiyo could have sworn both Ookami and Sango went green with envy.

"I'll say it again, Miroku," Chiyo growled, snatching her hand away. "_I'm only thirteen._ If you pull another perverted stunt on me like that again, you're gonna have to answer to those two." She pointed at the two lime-coloured girls, and Miroku's confident smile suddenly disappeared. He cleared his throat and abruptly stood up, wisely clasping his wandering hands behind his back.

"Okay, so he won't grope you anymore," Ookami said, turning to Chiyo. "But can he- I mean _they_ stay?" She clasped her hands together in front of her. "Please please please please pweeeeeeease?"

Chiyo sighed. "Well, I've already had one of the most stressful days of my entire life, so how could it possibly get any worse?"

"Do you really wanna jinx yourself like that?" InuYasha warned.

"That was a rhetorical question, Inu-chan," Ookami retorted. InuYasha's eyebrow twitched, and Kagome burst out laughing at the nickname.

"So is that a yes?" Ookami asked, gazing at Chiyo with puppy eyes. Chiyo sighed again.

"Whatever," she said, with a wave of her hand. "But I ain't cooking dinner for all of them, you can manage that!"

"Oh yes!!" Ookami cried, suddenly grabbing Miroku and dragging him out of the room. "C'mon Houshi-sama, I'll show you what a computer is!"

Chiyo noted the startled look on Sango's face as Miroku disappeared out of the room.

"Inu-chan?" Kagome laughed, wiping tears away from eyes. "When did that become his pet name?"

Chiyo grinned mischievously, and InuYasha groaned. "I'm never gonna hear the end of this, am I?" he grumbled.

"Nope," Chiyo answered. Kagome burst out with another loud laugh.

* * *

Later that night, after Ookami had fed them all a dinner of baked beans on toast (lacking the coking skills to make anything else), all seven of them were upstairs and deciding where to sleep.

"Look, I know you don't like sharing rooms with people Ookami, but you're just gonna have to put up with it for tonight!"

"ALRIGHT, then, geez! Don't bite my head off!" she grumbled.

"Shippo, do you have a preferred room?" Chiyo asked him, dragging her palm down her face frustratingly.

"Why do you ask _him_ first?" InuYasha interrupted.

"I'm warning you..." Kagome growled at him.

"I really don't mind," Shippo said. "I can sleep out here if there's no room in your room."

Chiyo saw out of the corner of her eye that Ookami was slowly edging towards 'Houshi-sama.'

"Miroku, would you sleep out here on the couch?" Chiyo quickly asked him. He nodded.

"I'll sleep out here with them!" Ookami volunteered immediately.

"Oh NO you won't!" Chiyo barked at her, grabbing her arm and dragging away from the monk. "You are definitely sleeping in my room!"

"And I'll sleep out here with them instead!" Sango offered, smiling and grabbing onto Miroku's arm incredibly hard.

"I was just about to suggest that!" Chiyo replied, also smiling.

"Why you little-!!" Ookami began, but Chiyo delivered her a sharp jab in the ribs, and she yelped and dropped to her knees.

"Sango, I can't feel my hand!" Miroku squeaked, as she gripped his arm tighter.

"That leaves InuYasha and Kagome to join us in my room," Chiyo concluded, and Kagome nodded.

"Whatever," InuYasha said, shrugging and walking off. "Where do you store your rugs?"

"Uh, the _blankets_ are in that cupboard there," Chiyo said, pointing behind her, as Ookami wavered to her feet.

"Thanks a lot!" Ookami hissed at her. "She's stolen him _again_!"

"You reeeeeeeeally need to get a grip," Chiyo told her, rolling her eyes.

* * *

"Goodnight Dad!"

"Night Chiyo!"

"Ah, is mum back yet?"

"I think she checked into a hotel for the night!"

"That'd be right," Chiyo mumbled, laughing to herself. "Kay then!" she called back down. She turned to Miroku, Shippo and Sango, who were all lying down in the area in front of the computer behind her.

"So you guys alright?" she asked, beginning to walk towards the corridor that led to her room.

"Yup!" Shippo answered for them, waving to her happily from his blanket-and-cushion bed Chiyo had improvised for him.

"Well, see ya in the morning then," she said, turning down the corridor tiredly. She gave a light push on her bedroom door, which began to swing open, then abruptly stopped. Chiyo, who had been expecting the door to open fully and didn't look up to check if it had, walked right into it. She stumbled back with a yelp and grabbed her nose, which was on the verge of bleeding. She stared at the door, then walked up to it cautiously and gave it another push. It swung about a centimetre forward, then stopped as it banged into something on the inside of her room.

"Ookami?" Chiyo called, frowning at the door. "Wanna explain why I can't open my door?"

"That's because you keep banging it into my head," she heard InuYasha's voice growl back at her. Chiyo's frown became deeper, then she pushed on the door again, much harder. She heard InuYasha yelp at the increased pressure on his skull, then he scrambled up to let Chiyo open the door freely.

Chiyo peered at him as she entered the room, shaking her head as he clutched his.

"You always have to do things the hard way, don't you?" Kagome sighed, combing her hairbrush through her hair as she sat on top of her mattress.

Chiyo looked up at her bed, and found Ookami was sitting on top of it, arms and legs crossed, glaring at her.

"What?" Chiyo asked, taken aback by her icy stare.

"You know what," Ookami stated coldly. Chiyo blinked, then rolled her eyes as she remembered.

"Don't tell me you're still mad about Miroku."

"Oh, I'm not mad," she replied sweetly, but her glare didn't falter.

"I don't know what you see in that insane phony monk anyway," InuYasha muttered. Ookami's glare suddenly directed to him.

"How dare you say that!" she exclaimed, and she slapped the top of his head, making him jump. "He's cute and funny and his powers are one hundred percent real!"

InuYasha grabbed Ookami's leg and jerked her off the bed, and she landed sprawled out on the floor.

"InuYasha!" Kagome exclaimed, and she threw her hairbrush at him, which hit him square in the face. He grabbed his face and rolled onto the floor next to Ookami.

"If you're both finished," Chiyo grumbled, walking over to her bed, "I'd really like to get some sleep!"

"He started it!" Ookami declared, pointing at InuYasha.

"Yeah, but you started the psychical violence!" InuYasha retorted.

"Just get into bed already!" Chiyo growled, switching off her lamp. She fell down onto her pillow and shut her eyes as she heard both Ookami and InuYasha crawling over and onto the mattress.

* * *

InuYasha couldn't sleep. He opened his eyes grudgingly and glared at Ookami, although she couldn't see his glare because a) it was pitch black, and b) she was asleep. But he continued to glare anyway, because the reason he couldn't sleep was because of her constant snoring. He lay his head back tiredly on Chiyo's closet door, where he was sitting against, Tessaiga propped up in between his arms. He looked over to where Kagome was sleeping, and smiled slightly as he saw she was fast asleep and looking very comfortable. '_Well, at least _she's_ able to get some rest_,' he thought, as he stood up quietly. He walked over to her mattress and knelt down, grabbing her blanket that had slipped off of her and pulling it back over her. He saw her lightly grasp the blanket and smile in her sleep, grateful for the newfound warmth, and InuYasha blushed.

"Why are you so damn cute..." he said quietly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. Feeling himself blushing, he looked away quickly. And that's when he noticed a faint glow shining across the room.

He blinked, wondering if he was seeing things, but the glow was still there. He looked around the room and saw that it was coming from Chiyo's bed. He stood up very slowly, grabbing his Tessaiga off the floor. He crept over to her bed, kneeling next to Chiyo's pillow. He saw the light was glowing underneath her covers, so he lightly pulled the blanket down, revealing the source of the light.

'_It's that watch thing!_' InuYasha realized, staring at the watch on Chiyo's wrist, which was glowing intently. "What the-" he began, when suddenly it started beeping at him. He leant back, startled, then swiftly turned around when he heard a beeping noise coming from the area where Miroku and the others were sleeping.

'_Is that...coming from the kom-pyu-tah?_' he thought, frowning. He looked back to the watch, which was beeping faster now. Some sort of bar was on the screen now, and it was gradually filling up. A number above it kept increasing in size...67%...69%...74%...

"What is going on?" InuYasha said to himself, as he heard the kom-pyu-tah's beeping increase in speed from the other room. He started as Chiyo stirred in her sleep.

Chiyo rubbed her eyes tiredly, wondering what had woken her. She seemed to hear an annoying blipping sound close by, but she couldn't pinpoint where. She dropped her hand away from her face and opened her eyes.

Right in front of her were two huge, bright yellow eyes.

Chiyo shrieked in surprise and, instinct acting first, punched whatever was directly in front of her. She heard a cry of pain and the yellow eyes disappeared, and she heard something fall onto the carpet, followed by a sudden crash. She rushed to turn on her lamp as she heard Ookami and Kagome yelp as they were woken up by the noise.

"Gah! InuYasha, why are you on top of me?!" Chiyo heard Ookami yell as she found the switch for her lamp. She turned the light on and saw Kagome sitting up on her mattress and InuYasha scrambling to get off of Ookami, one hand on his face. She also saw her CD player in several pieces on the floor.

"Holy smchikey InuYasha! You broke my CD player!!" she shouted, suddenly sitting up in bed.

"Well you punched me in the freaking face!!" he groaned, taking his hand away. Ookami and Kagome started as they saw it was covered in blood.

"What's going on in here?!" The door suddenly slammed open, and Miroku, Sango and Shippo all ran in.

"InuYasha broke it!" Chiyo wailed. "First the camera, and now this!!"

"Will someone just get me a towel or something?!" InuYasha growled, wiping the blood away from his nose.

"Why did you punch him Chiyo?!" Kagome exclaimed, bending down and trying to clear the blood away from his face with her pyjama sleeve. InuYasha blushed again at Kagome being so close to him, but you couldn't notice it underneath the blood.

"Like you haven't hit him before," Ookami muttered, but no one heard her over the noise. She grabbed the tissues beside Chiyo's bed and tossed the box to Kagome, who swiftly began ripping them out and stuffing them under InuYasha's nose. InuYasha sneezed violently as the soft paper attacked his sensitive nose, causing more blood to spurt out.

"Owowowowow, you're making it worse Kagome!" he moaned, trying to wave her off.

"Shut up and let me clean you up!" she yelled at him.

"My CD player..." Chiyo continued to wail, picking the pieces up tenderly off the floor.

"There's never a dull moment with these guys, is there?" Shippo commented. Miroku, Sango and Ookami all nodded in agreement.

* * *

The next morning, Chiyo had woken everyone up an hour earlier than her brother and dad, desperate to get out of the house before her dad woke up and she had to explain what the whole racket was about last night.

"So you were in my face last night cause this thing was going off?" Chiyo asked InuYasha, as she pressed in the buttons to open the portal.

"Yeah," InuYasha yawned, still not managing to get a good night's sleep after the ordeal with his face getting broken and his nose exploding. He glared at the watch intently, as if he was expecting Naraku to pop out of it at any second.

Chiyo finished pressing the buttons and the portal opened up in front of them, and she sighed. The others waited for her to go through it, but she stayed still.

"Chiiiiiiiyoooooooooo," Ookami said quietly, giving her a nudge in the back. "The voices in your head are telling you to go throooooooooooooough..."

Chiyo turned to glare at her.

"What's wrong now?" InuYasha asked tiredly. "Just go already!"

"What if it doesn't close again?" Chiyo said quietly, staring at the wavering hole of colour in front of her. "If it stays here..."

"Whether or not it does doesn't matter now," Kagome said to her. "You've already opened it. Going through won't make a difference."

"But what if someone sees it or something?" Chiyo argued. "Or someone falls into it?" Chiyo did not even want to imagine the hysterical state her mother would be in if _she_ slipped into it.

"Look, it closed when we came out of it last, right?" Ookami said to Chiyo. "So it's probably just stuck in the Feudal Era." When Chiyo didn't move, Ookami clicked her tongue with impatience. "Oh, will you get going already!" she yelled, and grabbed Chiyo's collar and thrust her in. Chiyo flailed and fell in headfirst, somersaulting inside the portal. She tried to cry out but her voice was lost, and like the first time she had fallen through the portal she felt sick as she constantly spun. Again her hair lengthened and her clothes changed, her ears changed and her nails grew. But the one thing that stayed identical was the watch, still clasped to her wrist and in no way altering. Chiyo spotted the light signalling the end of the portal amidst all her spinning and she tried to straighten up to fall through it properly. She slipped through the light, and the pull of gravity abruptly returned and changed, and she fell right onto the ground, hard. She rolled over onto her back and saw the portal wasn't above her as usual, but in the same position where she had opened it here just yesterday.

"Chiyo!" she heard a voice call, and suddenly Kaede and a large Kirara were standing above her.

"Oh," she said, blinking as they stared at her. "Hey Kaede."

"Are ye alright?" she asked, as Kirara nuzzled her and pushed her up.

"Yeah, I'm all good," Chiyo reassured her, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm just going to pound Ookami's head into the ground when she gets here."

Not a second later did the portal twist and contort slightly, and a girl in a demon slaying outfit came flying out of it, landing right where Chiyo had been laying a minute before.

"Ow!" Ookami's muffled voice exclaimed in annoyance, her face planted in the ground. She wrenched her head out of the dirt, spitting out a leaf caught on her lip in disgust. Chiyo made no effort to stop her amused laughter.

"Quit laughing," Ookami snapped as she stood up and brushed herself off. But just then the portal shimmered, and InuYasha and Miroku came flying out, smashing into Ookami's back and slamming her to the ground.

"Woah," Miroku exclaimed, rubbing his eyes. "That was even odder than the first time!"

"I hate that thing," InuYasha growled, glaring at the portal and trying to sit up.

"You hate everything," Chiyo pointed out.

"I suggest ye move before-" Kaede began, but it was too late; next came Kagome, Shippo and Sango, flying out and landing on top of the two boys. They made muffled yelps as they cushioned the girl's and fox's falls, and Chiyo heard Ookami groan from underneath the huge pile. All Chiyo could see was her hand, weakly clawing at the ground as she tried to breath.

"Uh, guys?" Chiyo said nervously. "I think you're gonna kill Ookami."

The group looked at her strangely, and then they suddenly seemed to notice Ookami was beneath them. They yelped and scrambled up, and Ookami gasped deeply as oxygen returned to her.

"I'm glad ye all returned at this moment in time," Kaede said, as Sango tried to help Ookami up (all she received was an intent glare).

"Why's that?" Kagome asked, standing up with the others. Kaede pointed behind her, on the outskirts of the village.

"We have only just spotted a wander, outside the Forest of InuYasha," she said. "They be a way away from the village, but we are wary nonetheless."

"Well then, we'll go investigate," Miroku told her, already beginning to walk in the direction Kaede was pointing. Sango quickly followed him, Kirara already by her side, and Chiyo turned to the other four.

"You coming?" she asked, and they all nodded. Chiyo began to run after them, followed by Kagome, InuYasha, Ookami and a nervous Shippo.

They soon caught up with Sango, Miroku and Kirara, and together they reached the edge of the village. Chiyo immediately smelt the outsider, along with InuYasha, and they both started.

"What is it?" Sango asked, and the group turned to them.

"He's covered in blood," Chiyo gasped, and InuYasha frowned.

"Demon blood?" Miroku asked. "Or his own?"

"His own," InuYasha said immediately, and his hand wavered above his sword's hilt. "But there is a scent of demon on him."

"He must have been attacked by something!" Kagome said fearfully, as the outsider came closer. Chiyo could see them more clearly now, and she peered over the plain, taking in every detail. It was a man, and he was stumbling across the grass weakly. He had a deep sleeved kimono over his chest, not unlike hers and InuYasha's, except it was a light blue colour, and it was ripped and covered in deep red. His long loose pants would have been a light green colour if they weren't stained in his blood. His hair was shoulder length and white, streaked with blue the same colour as his kimono top, and part of it was tied back in a small ponytail. In his left hand he was clutching what looked like a wooden staff.

"Should we help him?" Sango asked, looking over him nervously.

"We don't know whether he's an enemy or not..." Miroku said quietly, but he looked unsure. The stranger looked up and, seeing them, reached out his arm as a call for help. Chiyo sucked in a breath, wanting to run to him, but undecided.

"Well we can't just leave him there with his injuries!" Ookami hissed, also looking like she wanted to help him. Abruptly the outsider's hand dropped, and he came to a halt. He wavered where he stood for a second, then suddenly began to fall in a faint to the ground.

Chiyo leapt from where she stood and raced over to him, catching him in her arms before he hit the grass. "Guys, come over here and help me move him!!" she called to them, as his blood dripping onto her. "He's heavy!"

"Who...are you..." a weak voice whispered, and Chiyo stared down at him.

"You're still conscious?" she asked him quietly, as if he would break if she spoke loudly to him. His eyes were closed, but his mouth was moving.

"You...you couldn't be..." he started, then his head abruptly drooped, and his whole body went limp. If Chiyo hadn't been able to smell the life still around him she would have thought he was dead.

InuYasha, being faster than the others, reached her first. "Are you ever cautious?!" he growled at her, but he helped her lift him up. "He could've been tricking you!"

"I'm a people person, I could tell he was innocent," Chiyo muttered, as the rest of the group ran up to them.

"Here, put him on Kirara," Sango told them, and InuYasha and Chiyo lifted him up and gently placed him on her furry back. Kirara snorted as the smell of blood surrounded her, but she obediently followed Sango and the rest of them and carried him back towards the village.

* * *

Laura: Holy crap, the longest chapter yet!! 17 pages and nearly 10,000 words!!

InuYasha: I can't endure this any longer!

Chiyo: Who is that mysterious person?

Laura: You'll have to find out in the next chapter! I pray that I'll get it up before New Years.

Kagome: You pray.

Ookami: Don't forget to review, peoples.

Chiyo: Merry Christmas!


	13. Bridge 2: Chapter 13: A Promise

Laura: I'M SORRY! THE CHAPTER WASN'T UP BEFORE NEW YEAR'S EVE!! GOMENASAI!!!!!

Sango: Laura, relax, it's only one day after!

InuYasha: Let her sanity freak. It's fun to watch!

Ookami: I agree with you.

Chiyo: Review responses are back below!

* * *

Laura: **Dindella**!! ZOMG HI!!

InuYasha: You know her?

Chiyo: She's off YouTube and deviantArt.

InuYasha: You-chewbuh? What the hell is that?

Laura: Thank you for reading my fanfic! It really means a lot to me! XD

* * *

Miroku: The portal is not closing, **Arrowachi**, because...

Laura: SHUT UP DON'T SPOIL STUFF!! (gags Miroku)

Miroku: Mfmfmfmfbbbfm!! (translation: I can't breathe!!)

Ookami: Houshi-sama!! (total fangirl)

Chiyo: You'll find out who the stranger is in this chapter, don't worry!

* * *

Laura: Yush, **Mirror's Mirage**, it certainly is a quick update.

Kagome: Quicker than ever!

Kana: I need to loosen up?! Since when am I uptight?!

InuYasha: You're wound tighter than Naraku on drugs, Mrs. Tsumomo.

Naraku: He's right! ...hey, wait!

InuYasha: 83

* * *

Chiyo: I'm your favourite character, **AiKitsuneOni**? (blushes) Thank you!

Ookami: WHAT WHY AM I NOT YOUR FAVOURITE?!

Sango: (knocks her out with a frying pan)

Laura: Hey, that's my trick!!

* * *

Laura: Okay, now we may begin! BRIDGE 2 EVERYONE!! 8D It's only taken me over a year!

* * *

Bridge 2: Chapter 13 – A Promise

"So will he be alright?" Ookami asked, as Kaede looked over the stranger's wounds. They had brought him into one of the few remaining huts in the village, as the others were still being repaired, and Kaede had immediately begun tending to his injuries. InuYasha and the others had left him to her care, but Ookami and Chiyo had stayed with her to observe how he was doing.

"He will recover," Kaede reassured her, as she tenderly scattered some remedial herbs over the large gash on his chest. The stranger groaned in his unconscious state.

"Seems like he got into a fight with something big," Chiyo muttered, overlooking his body wounds and cringing. The gash across his chest was so deep she could swear she could see a part of his rib. There was also a cut on his head, staining his white hair red, and Kaede had discovered that his nose was broken. Several other cuts and bruises had been found all over him.

"Mm," Ookami agreed, biting her lip. "That chest wound is gonna leave a whopper of a scar, too."

"Ye should be thankful that the gash didn't reach any of his organs," Kaede said, grabbing a jar of ointment beside her. Ookami grimaced in discomfort.

"I don't know how he was even walking in this state," Chiyo commented, looking down at his face. Even though he was unconscious his expression was a rigid frown, as though he were dreaming of something horrible.

"Neither do I," Kaede agreed. "But I've stopped most of the bleeding, and he seems a sturdy, strong man. He should be walking in no more than two days."

"Well that's a relief," Ookami sighed, as Chiyo leaned back on her heels. She stared at the stranger's face, her brow furrowing.

'_You...you couldn't be.._.'

That's what he had said before falling unconscious. '_I couldn't be who_?' Chiyo thought, and her frown deepened. She couldn't say she'd ever met the man before, it's not like she even been in the Feudal Era for long at all. So how would he know her?

"Chiyo!!" Ookami suddenly yelled in her ear, and Chiyo jumped out of her skin.

"Holy shmickey, WHAT?!" Chiyo yelled back, grabbing her ear in pain. "Don't forget! Overly-sensitive senses here!"

"Then don't zone out on us and I won't yell," Ookami said, grinning. Chiyo glared at her, a ringing still echoing through her ears.

"Great, now I can't hear at all," Chiyo grumbled, rubbing her fluffy ear furiously, as if to wipe away the ringing. Chiyo then noticed that Ookami was holding the wooden staff that the stranger had been carrying.

"What are you doing with that?" Chiyo said, although it came out harsher than she had planned.

"I wonder what it is," Ookami said, ignoring Chiyo. "It doesn't look like a regular walking stick." She was right – the staff was all twisted at the top in a unique pattern, and covered in tiny green leaves. Although it was thick, the staff was incredibly light for its size. There was also an impression of the stranger's hand around the middle from where he had gripped it so tightly.

"Correct," Chiyo said, again harshly. "Which is why you shouldn't be touching it. It's not yours!"

"Oh, go shoot yourself in the foot," Ookami told her, inspecting the staff. Chiyo tched and made a grab for the staff. Ookami whipped it away before she came close.

"No use getting into a fight with me," Ookami laughed evilly. "You'll just loose like you always do-"

Chiyo tackled Ookami to the ground, snatched the staff from her and pinned her down in one quick movement.

"Nyeh!!" Ookami exclaimed in shock, suddenly finding her face on the wood. "What the-?!"

"Chiyo, be careful!" Kaede exclaimed.

"What was that about always losing?" Chiyo remarked, unable to stop grinning herself now.

"When the hell did you get so strong?!" Ookami yelped, then it clicked once again that her friend was a half demon.

"Senses, height, strength, ears, they all get upgrades when I come here," Chiyo snickered. "Do I really have to keep explaining it to you?"

"No! Okay okay, you win!" Ookami squealed. "Please get off me!"

"No touching the staff."

"Alright then! Get off!"

Chiyo obliged, and Ookami sat up, rubbing her cheek. "You're so mean, Chiyo," she said in a baby-ish voice.

"Pfft, you're one to talk," Chiyo retorted. Her attention suddenly changed, though, when she heard the loud – and annoyed – voice of InuYasha outside.

"They're coming back," Chiyo commented, just as Kaede looked down to the stranger.

"He's waking up," she said, and the girls turned to him. He was stirring, as his frown was slowly disappearing.

"Hey," Ookami said quietly, rubbing his leg softly. "You alive there?"

'_Of course he is, you moron_,' Chiyo thought, but before she could say it, she suddenly felt the stranger grab her kimono top. She started and began to pull back, but he had already dragged her down.

* * *

"Kagome can't leave me alone for one minute," InuYasha growled to himself, his head still throbbing from the most recent sit Kagome had given him. "It's always something. I can't be nice to someone, or I break everything I touch, or...anything!" He stomped towards the hut Chiyo, Ookami and Kaede were tending to the newcomer in anger. '_Might as well check what they're doing, since I can't go close to Kagome until she's cooled off_,' he thought grudgingly, as he reached the doorway. Roughly pulling the woven cover aside, he poked his head through.

"Is he alive?" InuYasha said sarcastically, not feeling like saying anything nicer. He abruptly stopped though, and his mouth dropped open to the floor when he saw the four in the middle of the room. Both Ookami and Kaede had the exact same expression as him on their faces, and were both gaping at Chiyo and the stranger.

The two of them were kissing.

There was a second's silence, and the room was still it could have been a painting. Then, Chiyo's sanity freaked.

Chiyo leapt up and grabbed the stranger's top, then flung him across the room. He crashed into the wall and slumped down, his face scrunched in pain.

"**WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!!!!**" Chiyo shrieked. Her eyes were wide and she was breathing in gasps, and her expression was livid with rage. "**YOU PERVERTED OLD BASTARD!!!!**"

InuYasha would have covered his ears at her shrieks if he hadn't been shocked into immobility. Ookami and Kaede seemed exactly the same, still frozen on the floor.

Chiyo ran over to the stranger and grabbed him by his clothing, dragging him up to her face. She then punched him, and InuYasha saw blood fly from his mouth.

"HOW **DARE** YOU!!" Chiyo screamed at him, and she punched him again. She drew her arm back and then punched him for a third time, and this jerked Ookami out of her frozen state.

"Chiyo, wait!" Ookami yelled, suddenly looking frightened. "He's injured! Stop it, you're really hurting him!"

Chiyo ignored her friend and again struck at his face, and more blood spurted from his mouth. "HOW **DARE** YOU!!" Chiyo shrieked again, and her voice suddenly sounded so much coarser and rough. InuYasha snapped out of his shock just as Chiyo drew her arm back a fifth time. He raced into the room as she flung her fist forward, and grabbed her arm before it reached the stranger's face. Chiyo turned to him and unexpectedly snarled viciously at him, making InuYasha almost let go of her. He frowned and his eyes widened, as Chiyo glared furiously at him.

'_Her eyes..._' he thought in shock, as Chiyo's snarl turned into a low growl. '_They're...red...red like...like...._'

InuYasha's mind suddenly filled with thoughts of Kagome's terrified expression, and him feeling great lust to kill, to slaughter, to relish the demon inside of him as he ripped the throats of innocent...

"Chiyo!!" he growled at her loudly, pushing his demon thoughts furiously to the side. "Stop it! Stop it right now!!"

Chiyo started as he yelled at her, and her glare lessened. "Inu..." she said slowly, her voice sounding gruff and sore. "...Yasha..."

"Calm down," InuYasha said, although it didn't come out as harsh as he had planned. "_Relax_. Don't hit him anymore." His voice nearly cracked at the end as he desperately willed her red eyes to fade back to normal.

Chiyo paused, then slowly turned back to the stranger in her grasp. InuYasha felt her arm start to tremble.

"...why," Chiyo's voice suddenly demanded, as she stared at the stranger's bruised face. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

"I..." the stranger croaked, his voice breaking and his eyes cracking open. "I'm sorry..."

"Well you should be!" Chiyo gasped, and InuYasha heard _her_ voice crack. Her arm was shaking violently now. '_How did something like a...__**kiss**__...have such an effect on her?_' he thought, still holding her arm in case she went violent again.

"I...you're...you're not her..." the stranger continued, looking at her sadly. "I'm sorry..."

"Who am I not?" Chiyo demanded through her teeth, and InuYasha saw her grip on his top tighten. "Tell me!"

"I should have know..." the stranger chuckled to himself. "She's already dead...I was clinging to a lost hope."

"Who is dead?" InuYasha said in a dangerously low voice. He was getting impatient, and didn't want Chiyo attacking him again. "Answer her."

"Aimi," the stranger said softly, and his eyes closed. "She was murdered...by Naraku..."

Chiyo gasped and InuYasha stiffened as he said the name of their enemy. The stranger lost consciousness again and his head drooped, a thin trail of blood dripping from his mouth. Chiyo's whole body shook, and to InuYasha she looked like she would shatter like a piece of glass any second. Her grip slackened on the stranger and he slipped from her grasp, falling limply onto the floor.

Suddenly there was the sound of frantic footsteps outside, and Kagome burst into the hut. Chiyo flinched in fright as she loudly ran inside.

"Is something wrong?" she exclaimed, as everyone else raced in behind her. "We heard screaming-"

"Quiet fool!" Ookami hissed at her, standing up, and Kagome pulled a face. Kaede slowly got to her feet, and she quietly asked Kagome to help her move the stranger back to the blanket in the middle of the room.

InuYasha turned back to Chiyo, who was still shaking uncontrollably. "Hey," he said, finally releasing her arm. It fell limply to her side, and Chiyo didn't move.

"Oy," InuYasha said, a little louder. "Are you alright?" '_Please be back to normal_,' he thought desperately. '_C'mon_...'

Chiyo paused, then she finally turned to face him. Relief washed over him when he saw that the red had evaporated from her eyes, and her expression wasn't ferocious like before.

"Okay, you're back to no-" he began, when he noticed that Chiyo's eyes were brimmed with tears. He jumped, and his mind went into a panic. "Hey, what are crying for?!" he exclaimed, as Kaede and Kagome came up to help the stranger. "What's wrong?!"

Chiyo suddenly exploded into tears, and she wailed pathetically. Everyone jumped at her cries, then before InuYasha could stop her she had grabbed onto him and buried her face into his robe, sobbing loudly. He stiffened in alarm and his voice caught in his throat, enabling him to only make quiet choking noises of surprise. He felt his face turn red as he saw Kagome staring at them, and a million and one excuses automatically popped into his head. But he couldn't find words for any of them, so he just shook his head slowly as an excuse instead. Kagome paused as Chiyo continued to weep into him, and then she waved her hand, shrugging off InuYasha's embarrassed expression. InuYasha took this as a good sign and sighed internally. He looked down to Chiyo, and he could feel her tears starting to soak through his robe. '_This thing is fire proof, but not water proof..._' he thought grudgingly, still at a loss of what he should do for her. He gritted his teeth, then slowly and awkwardly put his arm around her shoulders. "Relax and stop crying," he ordered her, but again it didn't come out as harsh as he had wanted it to. Chiyo tried to catch her breath and ended up choking back a huge sob, and she gripped InuYasha harder.

'_She really is just a girl_,' InuYasha realised, as he patted her back slowly. '_How the hell did I ever think she worked for Naraku?_'

"C'mon now," InuYasha heard a voice say beside him, and he turned to find Ookami standing there. She lightly took Chiyo's arm, and InuYasha quickly dropped his arm from her shoulders. Chiyo's grip loosened as Ookami led her away from the stunned half-demon, and she dragged her head out of InuYasha's robe. Ookami led her away slowly out as she held back sobs and wiped her blurred eyes. At one point she tripped over nothing, and Ookami helped her up tenderly and continued to lead her as they exited the hut. InuYasha still heard her tears as they slowly advanced away through the village.

"InuYasha." Kagome finally broke the silence, laying the unconscious stranger back down onto the blanket. "What on earth happened here?"

InuYasha stared at her, then grimaced and wiped the tears off his robe. "He woke up," he said gruffly, jerking his head towards the stranger. "And he...pissed Chiyo off."

"How?" Sango asked, as InuYasha plonked down onto the floor.

"He..." InuYasha didn't really know how to say that he'd walked in and found them snogging on the floor. His face began to turn red and his eyebrow twitched just thinking about it. "Gyah, I dunno!" he growled, scratching his head frantically. "He...he just..."

It was then he saw Kagome staring at him, and he caved.

"Iwalkedinandtheywerekissing!" InuYasha forced out, his face going completely red. Kaede also flinched at the memory.

"What was that?" Miroku asked, sweatdropping.

"I require more medicinal herbs," Kaede quickly said, standing up. She hurriedly shuffled out of the hut, leaving InuYasha to awkwardly tell the story himself. He glared after her.

"They were what?" Kagome asked, frowning. InuYasha sighed.

"They...were _kissing_," InuYasha repeated, slower this time.  
"WHAT?!" everyone else exclaimed, all pulling faces.

"Why?!" Sango continued, and InuYasha held his hands up.

"But Chiyo didn't want to!" InuYasha cried out, as if to defend her. "That's how he pissed her off! I walked in and she...tossed him across the room..." His voice became lower as he recounted the beginning of Chiyo's attack. "And then she started punching him. I've never seen her so mad."

"His face looks pretty bad," Shippo commented, staring at the stranger's bloody mouth and bruised eyes. InuYasha glared at him for interrupting.

"So did you stop her?" Kagome asked harshly, looking at him in a 'you-bloody-better-have-or-else' sort of way.

"Of course!" InuYasha retorted. "I wasn't just gonna stand there and watch!"

Kagome rolled her eyes.

"So then did he fall unconscious again?" Miroku asked, and InuYasha glanced at him. "Then we came in a Chiyo started...crying?"

"Crying's a huge understatement," Shippo said bluntly.

InuYasha paused, frowning. '_No, Chiyo actually started snarling at me and her eyes were red_,' was what he should say next. But he wasn't certain he should. 'Should I tell them that Chiyo has a possible...demonic problem?' he thought, and his frown increased. 'Or...'

InuYasha sighed, giving in. Everyone stared at him expectantly.

"...yes. That's when you guys came," he said, staring at the wall. "I don't know why she started crying."

He didn't have to look to know Kagome was glaring at him. She, at least, knew he was hiding something. And she'd probably end up confronting him later and demanding an explanation. And yes, he'd probably end up telling her. But he wasn't about to confess Chiyo had a demon side right in front of everyone – at least, not until he confronted Chiyo herself about it first.

* * *

Ookami stomped back to the village, a deadly frown printed on her face. She turned the corner of a half-rebuilt hut and nearly smacked right into Kagome on the other side.

"Oh, Ookami, it's you," Kagome said, startled by her expression. "What's wrong? And where's-"

"She ran off on me," Ookami growled, making Kagome take a step back. "She stopped weeping like a leaky tap, eventually, and then she ran off on me. The nerve!" she exclaimed, making Kagome jump.

"Calm down," Kagome said to the furious girl nervously. "I'm sure she just needed some time to cool off...like you need right now," she added. Ookami glared at her, then scrunched her eyes shut in frustration, trying to relax a little.

"Lady Kagome!" a voice called, and the two girls turned and saw Miroku standing a few metres behind them. "And you too, Ookami! He's awaking again!"

The two didn't have to ask who he was talking about. Both quickly jogged over to him and began to make their way towards Kaede's hut.

When they entered, everyone else was already there. The stranger had his eyes half open, and Sango seemed to be trying to help him sit up.

"Are any of your wounds hurting?" she asked him, as Ookami, Kagome and Miroku sat down around him. The stranger flinched in pain as he sat up slowly.

"Yeah," he told her weakly, laughing a little. "But nothing I can't handle."

'_Please don't tell me he's all cocky like Inu-chan_,' Ookami thought grudgingly - of course, she kept the thought to herself. Sango leant back from him and sat down as he finally sat up straight.

"Thank you," he said to her, then turned to the group around him. "I can't thank you enough for all the care and hospitality you've given me."

"You're welcome," Miroku replied, "but I do hope that in return for our hospitality you'll answer a few questions for us."

The stranger chuckled. "A small price to pay," he said. "Of course. What is it you have to ask?"

"Your name would be nice," InuYasha said, looking at him with his head on his hand. Kagome elbowed him forcefully in the ribs.

The stranger nodded. "My name is Koreno," he said. "And you are?"

"InuYasha," InuYasha hissed back as he clutched his side in pain.

"I'm Kagome," Kagome said to him sweetly.

"Miroku."

"Sango." Kirara mewed on her lap. "This is Kirara."

"Shippo!"

"I'm Ookami," Ookami told him, and he looked towards her.

"I remember you," he said, and she raised her eyebrows. "You were in the room when I came to before."

"Yup," Ookami replied.

"Where is your...other friend?" he said slowly, and he seemed to become slightly nervous. "I don't see her here."

"Yeah," Sango agreed, "Where is Chiyo?"

"Chiyo is her name?" the stranger Koreno said.

"She's...somewhere," Ookami huffed out, frowning in frustration at the thought of her friend ditching her at a time like this. Koreno looked down at the floor.

"I see..." he said quietly, more to himself than to the group. "...so it really wasn't Aimi after all..."

There was silence in the room.

"Uh, so, Koreno," Kagome eventually said, "uh...what's this thing?" She pointed to his staff leaning against the wall in the corner of the room. He looked over to it.

"Oh, that's my staff," he told her.

"We gathered that," InuYasha said sarcastically, and Kagome jabbed his side again.

"What do you use it for though?" Kagome continued, as InuYasha clutched his ribs. "It looks a bit fancy to be just a walking staff."

"Oh, it's not for walking," Koreno said, smiling at her. "It's my mage's staff."

"Mage's staff?" Shippo repeated. "Wait, you're a mage?"

Koreno nodded at him.

"Oh," InuYasha said, looking at the staff. "So you're kinda like Miroku, except your powers are real, right?"

"Yeah," Miroku agreed, pausing. Then it clicked. "Hey!" he snapped.

"I was travelling in that forest outside your village," Koreno continued. "I've been lost for a long while now." He paused.

"Lost?" Sango asked. "Were you travelling around the country?"

Koreno nodded, remaining silent. A quiet descended in the room.

"Hey, Koreno," InuYasha said, and Koreno looked up. "Not to be rude, but we really want answers. Stuff like who you are, and how you got lost, and how you know _Naraku_ would be good."

Kagome turned to tell InuYasha off, but she stopped and whipped her head around to Koreno. "Wait, you know Naraku?"

"What?" Miroku exclaimed, and the atmosphere became tense. "Are you serious?"

Koreno stiffened, and his expression suddenly became livid. "Yes, I have had the misfortune to become acquainted with that bastard."

Ookami blinked at his abruptly strong tone. His face was ridden with hate, even though he had been smiling and laughing only a second ago.

"What did he do to you?" she asked, breaking her silence. He looked at her as she waited patiently for an answer. He eventually broke his stare and bit his lip, looking at the ground.

"He ambushed us as we were travelling," he said quietly, his eyes glazing over as he relived the memory. "Myself and...Aimi."

The way Koreno spoke the name, there was no doubt that the one named Aimi was his lover. His expression again changed, this time to misery.

"He asked me to join him," he continued. "He said something about wanting my power to control the actions of others."

"You can control others?" Miroku asked, frowning. Koreno nodded slowly.

"Like puppets, was what he said," Koreno said, his mouth twisting into a disgusted smile. "Of course, I refused. So he retaliated." The smile instantly vanished. "He went for Aimi. He grabbed her, and because I denied helping him, he..."

Koreno didn't see the need to finish. He lowered his head and his hands balled into fists, gripping his blanket harshly. Ookami heard his breathing quiver as he fought to hold back tears.

"Then why did you do that to Chiyo?" InuYasha said, speaking more quietly now. Koreno's breath caught.

"She sounded...exactly like her," he said, even more quietly. "I don't know why. She just did. I thought it was her, and I was half unconscious, so I didn't think straight..." InuYasha saw him blush ever so slightly. "But I want to apologize to her. I truly am sorry for being so..."

"Perverted?" InuYasha tried. Kagome gave him a nasty glare.

"Abrupt," Koreno said instead. "So when she returns, could you please tell her I wish to do so?"

"I don't think that would be in your best interests," Ookami said nervously. "Unless you have absolutely no will to live anymore."

Kagome grimaced.

"I know I upset her," Koreno said awkwardly. "So I'll take the chance of dying to apologize."

"Okay then," Ookami sighed. "Don't say I didn't warn ya. But you should know I really don't have any clue where she is or when she'll be back."

"Well what direction did she go when she left you?" Sango asked. An anger mark appeared on Ookami's head.

"She didn't leave _me_!" Ookami snapped, making everyone jump. "Don't say it like I did something wrong to her!"

"What? But I didn't!" Sango defended, looking confused.

"Oh you'd like me to think that, wouldn't you?" Ookami growled at her, and Sango looked even more taken aback.

"Is something bugging you Ookami?" Miroku asked.

"Oh no Houshi-sama!" she cried, taking this chance to fling herself onto the monk. "I'm always perfect when I'm around you!"

'_I think I'm starting to see what Ookami has against Sango_,' Kagome thought, as Sango's mouth dropped open.

InuYasha sighed quietly, turning his head away from the group. He didn't have any interest in what the Koreno guy had to say anymore; his curiosity had already been satisfied. But he was the only one in the group who knew where Chiyo was at that precise moment. His eyes flitted up towards the ceiling.

'_So you thought you'd listen to the whole conversation on the roof, did you_?' he thought, rolling his eyes. 'Smooth.' He could've easily spoken up and told everyone where Chiyo was, but he knew well enough that the last thing she wanted right now was the company of others. Whenever he had turned full demon, he would almost always wander off alone to think. The only one who he would even want remotely near him during that time would be Kagome. He sympathised with Chiyo for that reason, but he had judged that she had had more than enough time by now to be solitary. He stood up and muttered something about checking his sword, then left the hut, leaving the rest to listen to the arguing Ookami and Sango.

* * *

Chiyo looked up at the sky as the clouds drifted by, creeping across the blue at a relaxed pace. Unknown to the rest of the group, she was lying on the roof of the hut and listening to every word that was being said. Her ears twitched as she heard her friend snap at Sango for no valid reason, and she sighed. Realising the bulk of the important conversation had finished, her attention turned to her thoughts of what had happened earlier.

'_I got so angry_,' she thought. '_I blew up. I've never felt that vicious before._' She blinked, though, when she realised that she actually had; and quite recently too. '_When I was fighting that demon the other day,_' she thought, '_and I used Iron Reaver Soul Stealer. I felt that angry then too_.' She then remembered what Ookami had said to her afterwards, about her eyes changing colour to red. '_Did that happen again just now_?'Her hand automatically reached up to touch her eyelid. '_If it did..._'

Chiyo thought about how she had wanted to rip the stranger; who she now knew was a mage named Koreno; to pieces, to claw his throat out. All that fury had suddenly exploded inside of her, and she had had no idea where it had come from. '_And then...when InuYasha grabbed me..._' Chiyo gulped back a retch as she remembered what she had felt. She had snarled at InuYasha, who had grabbed onto her arm and had dare tried to stop her. And then, right at that moment, Chiyo had nearly turned on him. She remembered particularly wanting to claw out his eyes, which had been frowning down at her. But what was even worse – and this was what made Chiyo retch – was that she had wanted to _feast_ on him afterwards. She had wanted to kill him, along with Koreno, and rip them open, watch their blood spill onto the floor, and she would enjoy every second of it, then she would bury her head in their flesh and-

"Stop it!" she cried out, sitting up abruptly. She could already feel herself sweating, and her fists were clenched so tightly her fingers were numb. She grabbed her head and shook it, as if to shake away the demonic thoughts. "Stop it right now!" she whispered desperately to herself. "How can you think things like this?"

"Talking to yourself is _still_ the first sign of madness, Chiyo."

Chiyo squeaked in surprise, nearly slipping off the roof in fright. Whipping her head around she saw InuYasha was kneeling right behind her. Chiyo had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't even heard him leave the hut.

"How did you-" Chiyo was going to ask how he knew she was here, then she realised he'd be the worst half-demon ever to not hear and smell her sitting on the roof. InuYasha just stared at her. Chiyo noticed he wasn't looking at her in his usual 'you're a complete and utter idiot' way. In fact, his expression was the complete opposite – it was almost...sympathetic? His eyes were concerned, but his frown insisted on staying put in the middle of his brow, like always.

"You're still as loud as ever," InuYasha commented, and the sympathetic look vanished. "I can't believe nobody could hear you, the way you were hyperventilating."

Chiyo blinked, then looked away. She wasn't in the mood to muster up a retort. InuYasha seemed to realise this, and he sighed. He lightly hopped over the ridge of the roof and sat down next to Chiyo, legs crossed. Chiyo hugged her knees to her chest.

There was a silence between the two. InuYasha glanced at Chiyo, then pouted. '_Damn, now that I'm up here, I don't know what to say. Great_,' he thought in frustration. He then noticed her hands were covered in sweat, and she was still quivering, ever so slightly. His frown softened a little. Just a little.

"So, you wanna tell me why you won't come down?" he asked loudly, and Chiyo jumped out of her thoughts. She frowned at him.

"Cause that pervert's down there," she stated, an edge to her voice.

"Geez woman," InuYasha sighed. "You're acting like I was when you first came here."

Chiyo gawked angrily at him. "I am not- this is different!" she insisted. InuYasha smirked. "Oh, you think you're right?" Chiyo growled at him. "Did you go and snog me the first time we met?"

InuYasha's face went red. "Wha---what?!" he exclaimed, glaring at her. "Don't be an idiot, of course not!! Why the hell would I wanna do that?!"

"Exactly," Chiyo huffed, glaring at the sky again. InuYasha went into an embarrassed silence. Both looked straight ahead of themselves, out at the plains and the edge of the forest.

After a moment, InuYasha rubbed his brow. '_I better get this over with, unless Kagome or someone comes out soon_,' he thought grudgingly. He opened his mouth to speak when Chiyo talked over him.  
"What does it feel like to you?" Chiyo said softly. InuYasha blinked, peering at her face in confusion.

"What does what feel like?"

Chiyo paused, unsure if she should ask, but she pressed on. "Turning demon," she said quietly, and InuYasha stiffened. He frowned, looking down. Chiyo waited for him to muster up the strength to talk.

"...hot."

Chiyo blinked. "Huh?" she said, sweatdropping. "Hot?"

"Yeah," InuYasha said, suddenly finding the wooden roof panes very interesting. "It feels like my blood is on fire or something." He paused. "And...all I want is to kill."

Chiyo watched the subtle changes of his expression. He hid his feelings well, but his eyes told a different story. They told her of the fear he felt.

"But I didn't come up here to talk about me!" he suddenly exclaimed, making Chiyo jump. "I wanted to ask you stuff! You can't swap it around, that's..."

"That's what?" Chiyo asked sarcastically.

"Cheating!" InuYasha burst out, for a lack of a better word. Chiyo laughed loudly at his flustering.

"Kay then, what did you want to ask?" Chiyo said, her mood lifting a little. InuYasha paused.

"It's about what happened before," he said cautiously. "With that Koreno guy."

Chiyo's mood dropped down to the ground again.  
"Go figure," she muttered, avoiding his gaze. "What about it?"

"You might have a demon crisis," InuYasha said bluntly, too impatient to hold it back anymore. Chiyo flinched, but he didn't care. "What the hell made you go off in there?"

"I don't know," Chiyo said softly. "I really don't."

"You have to know something!" InuYasha argued.

"All it was was him kissing me," she continued. "The second he touch me, I felt...hot."

InuYasha frowned.

"And then, all I wanted to do was hurt him," Chiyo said quietly. "Exactly like you, when you're demon."

'_That's what I feared_,' InuYasha thought, but he kept silent and let her continue.

"I just punched him, thinking that's be enough, but it wasn't...and then I did it again, and again, and again, but still he wasn't hurting enough..." Her voice was rising in volume and speed slightly. "Then, when you came and grabbed my arm, I wanted to start punching you, and I wanted to....wanted to claw at you, and him, and everyone, and I wanted everyone to die, right then and there, but even that wasn't enough, I wanted to rip you all, and I wanted to eat you!!" She yelled the last part, making InuYasha jump. She was shaking again, and her eyes were wide. "I wanted to feast on you, to devour your flesh, to rip you pathetic bastards to shreds!" InuYasha watched in dread as he saw her eyes start to flicker, and her voice was becoming coarse. He then noticed that she was clawing madly at her right wrist. '_That watch_!' he thought in shock, but Chiyo kept going.

"You should all die, I should kill you all, you're all going to die!" she growled. "I'll do it myself! I'll rip you, tear you, devour you! You-"

Chiyo abruptly stopped her death threats as a fist collided with her head.

"Yeow!" she exclaimed, grabbing her head. "InuYasha, what the heck was that for?!"

Chiyo turned on him, ready to tell him off, but she stopped. The fist he had hit her with was shaking, and he was staring at her in confusion and dread. Chiyo paused, frowning.

"What?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

InuYasha's frown deepened. "What was the last thing you said to me before I hit you?" he asked quietly, and Chiyo could hear the edge in his voice. She paused.

"I...punched Koreno?" she tried, and InuYasha's fist dropped. He continued to stare at her in shock.

'_What is happening to her?_' he thought, shaking his head the smallest amount. 'It's that watch. It has to be.' He breathed in sharply as he remembered the previous night, where the watch and the kom-pyu-tah had been beeping. '_Did something happen to the watch thing then? Has it somehow...gotten stronger?_'

"Chiyo," InuYasha said harshly, and Chiyo jumped at his tone.

"Yeah?" she said, unsurely.

"Promise me that you won't get angry. At _anything_," he demanded, glaring at her so hard Chiyo expected a hole to burn through her head. "You've got to promise me that."

Chiyo frowned, then slowly nodded.

"And you can't think about anything full demon related!" he added. "Nothing! Zilch! Zero! Got it?"

"Okay!" Chiyo replied nervously, holding her hands above her head. "I won't! Promise!"

InuYasha glared at her for a moment longer, then dropped his gaze. "Good," he muttered, staring out to the forest again. '_I'm gonna have to keep this under control,_' InuYasha told himself. '_She's not going demon. Not on my watch. Or _that_ watch,_' he added, his glare altering to her wrist. '_No way in hell_.'

* * *

Naraku watched with a smirk at the girl Chiyo sitting on the roof, next to a worried looking InuYasha, through Kana's mirror.

"It's all going too well,' he said to himself, his smirk widening. The mirror shimmered and altered the image to show the rest of the group inside the hut, talking to Koreno. Naraku's smirk disappeared and a frown replaced it. "But I must keep an eye on him," he said quietly. "That young mage...who escaped..." Naraku tched in annoyance.

"If he dares thwart my plans for them..."

* * *

Laura: Okay, it's not 17 freaking pages like before, only 13 now.

InuYasha: _Only_?!

Kagome: Including review responses! (gives a cheesy grin)

Chiyo: Join us next time! That is, if I haven't slaughtered everyone by then! 8D

Shippo: ...(gulp)


	14. Chapter 14: An Apology

Laura: (headbangs) SO WHAT IF YOU CAN SEE! THE DARK INSIDE OF ME! NO ONE WILL EVER TAME THIS ANIMAL I HAVE BECOME!!  
InuYasha:.......I'm not even gonna ask.  
Chiyo: Some might say Laura has become a little obsessed with her I-Touch lately.  
Kagome: She has an I-touch?!  
Ookami: Ha, that's nothing! I have an I-_Phone_!  
Chiyo: Ookami, nobody cares.  
Koreno: Read the review responses! (whispers) Was that good?  
Sango: That was great for your debut in the Author's Notes!  
Koreno: (punches air)

Laura: Hello **cwizumi**! A newcomer, hey? You earn this! (hands over an 'I LOVE INSIDE INUYASHA' t-shirt)  
Chiyo: When the heck did you make that?!  
Laura: Now now Chiyo, calm down, we don't want you going demon on us again.  
Chiyo: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT I DON'T HAVE ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUES!!  
Miroku: She never said that.  
Chiyo: SHUT UP YOU FILTHY MONK!  
Miroku: (shoots with tranquilizer gun)  
Laura: Hey I love Skillet too! Yay for heavy metal rock-ness!!  
Chiyo: (dead) X.x

Ookami: **Alice Wolf** is addicted to reading this fanfic! It must be because of my sheer awesomeness that draws everyone in.  
Chiyo: Pfft!  
Ookami: Don't laugh at me! It's true, ever since I entered the story we've been getting more reviews and readers!  
Chiyo: Probably because they love watching you freak out whenever your feet leave the ground.  
Ookami: ...shut up!!

Chiyo: Yes, **AiKitsuneOni**, it does suck that I go demon all the time.  
Ookami: What?! I'm not too obsessive over Miroku!!  
Miroku: Hey guys, has anyone seen my sandals?  
Ookami: Uh....n-n-no! I mean, it's not like I have them hung up on an altar worshipping you in my room or something...(runs off)  
InuYasha: ...my nice guy scale went up? That's the lamest thing I've ever heard.  
Kagome: I think it's cute!  
InuYasha......(blushes)

Laura: **huytemen** wants to know more about Aimi. Hm...  
Chiyo: _Is_ she connected to me? (stares at Koreno)  
Koreno: You ain't getting a word outta me!  
Chiyo: Is that so? (sharpens claws)  
Koreno: Laura, help me!!

Kagome: According to **D-MO**, this story is amazing.  
Laura: That's because it is. (nods)  
Kagome: Now that you're updating more, it's definitely better.  
Laura: ...(grumbles)  
Chiyo: (sweatdrop)

Koreno: Oooh, **Arrowachi** loves my staff! That's great!  
InuYasha: Koreno better not steal the show, Laura.  
Laura: Naaaw, is Inu-chan jealous cause he thinks the staff is better than the Tessaiga?  
InuYasha: (anger mark) Are you more insane than usual today?!  
Kagome: That nickname never gets old! XD

Laura: SOMEBODY GET ME THROUGH THIS NIGHTMARE!! I CAN'T CONTROL MY-  
Everyone: **SHUT UP AND START THE CHAPTER!!  
**Laura:........-self! Okay now we can start.

* * *

Chapter 14: An Apology

"You're doing it wrong!"

"I'm sorry!"

"You gotta _focus_!"

"I _am_ focused!"

"Well your focus needs a hell of work as well then!"

"I told you, I'm _trying_," Chiyo wailed pathetically back. "It's not working!"

"Do I have to run over it _again_?!" InuYasha growled at her, his glare making her shudder even though he was across the other side of the grassy field. Chiyo meekly nodded for a reply.  
InuYasha sighed in sheer frustration, then he swiftly jumped over the field to Chiyo, landing beside her.  
"I just don't get it," Chiyo mumbled in an embarrassed way. "It worked before for me. Why won't it work now?"  
"I already told you," InuYasha barked at her, folding his arms across his chest, "you can't _use Iron Reaver Soul Stealer_ if you're drawing your power from anger!!"

"But I wasn't!" Chiyo insisted, though both she and InuYasha knew this was an outright lie. Beforehand, Chiyo had confessed to InuYasha that the reason she'd used Iron Reaver Soul Stealer successfully in the battle the other day was because the watch had worked her up into a frenzy of power. InuYasha had then grudgingly agreed to teach her the correct way to perform the move; but they weren't having much luck.  
InuYasha glared down at Chiyo as she blurted out her failed excuse, and she looked down at her feet. He stared at her in silence for a few seconds, then sighed a second time.

"You've gotta draw your power from inside you," he stated for what must have been the millionth time. Chiyo glanced up at him. "It's the same way you find the power to run, to jump, to breathe...it's all the same." He looked away, his arms unfolding. "Once you find that power, you channel it through yourself and into your hand." InuYasha looked down at his own hand, and Chiyo followed suit. She saw that his claws were beginning to glow yellow. InuYasha abruptly leapt forward, making Chiyo jump.  
"Then you swipe out that power!" InuYasha yelled to her, as he brought his arm up. "IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!!"  
Chiyo watched as the half-demon swung his arm down and the yellow streaks flew across the grass, striking the ground and sending dirt flying in all directions. Chiyo brought her hand up to shield her eyes from the debris. When the dust settled, she dropped her arm and saw InuYasha standing strong in between the marks he had made on the ground with a small smirk on his face.

"And that's how it's done," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"You're so amazing..." Chiyo replied in awe.

Chiyo snapped out of her daze and smacked her hand over her mouth in shock, but it was too late; the words had already slipped out. InuYasha's expression changed from smug to startled in an instant.

"Huh?" he said, looking at her awkwardly. Chiyo shook her head furiously from side to side, her hand still clamped over her mouth.  
'_Oh my God what did I just say?!_' Chiyo thought frantically. '_I sound like an insane fangirl! I sound like __**Ookami**__!!_'  
"I didn't mean that!" Chiyo squeaked, finally letting her mouth breath. "I'm sorry!!"  
InuYasha blinked, still staring at her. "You..._didn't_ mean it?" he said slowly, and Chiyo thought he looked disheartened. She mentally slapped herself.  
"N-no, I mean, it _was_ amazing!" Chiyo stammered, desperate not to hurt InuYasha's feelings. "It's just, I didn't mean for it to come out that way, and the move was still awesome, _is_ awesome, but not you specifically, gah, I mean, yes you, but not...you...you...blugwah!!" Chiyo's words turned into an idiotic jumble of exclamation at the end.  
"Blugwah?" InuYasha repeated, sweatdropping.  
"Yes, _blugwah_," Chiyo snapped back, now just infuriated with herself. "Look, just forget I said anything, okay!" She turned away from InuYasha as she began to feel herself blush, trying to preserve her remaining dignity; if she had any left. "I'm gonna try it again!"

"Al...right..." InuYasha replied awkwardly, watching as Chiyo stomped off to a clear spot on the grass. He watched her turn when she had found a good place, then saw her body tense in concentration.  
"Find the power, find the power..." he heard her mumble to herself, as her eyes closed to further help her focus. She then became so still InuYasha couldn't even hear her breath anymore. He frowned, watching the girl intently.  
'_Is she finally focusing seriously_?' he thought, as Chiyo still didn't move. The wind picked up, and InuYasha saw Chiyo didn't even flinch when a twirling leaf hit her in the face. The leaf fluttered away, and InuYasha flicked his own hair out of his face.  
'_Damn, how long does it take her to focus_?' he thought in annoyance, but secretly he was hoping that Chiyo really would find the right power this time. Not just because he wanted the training session to end, or because he wanted her to look after her own butt without him having to save it all the time (although these reasons _were_ at the forefront of his mind), but because he really wanted to see her achieve it.

Of course, he'd never admit that, not even to himself.

His ears perked up automatically when he saw Chiyo's claws beginning to faintly glow. His breath stopped as he fixedly stared at her hand, which was slowly moving upward. Chiyo's eyes suddenly snapped open, and she leapt into the air. InuYasha stepped back as she drew her arm up, then she slashed down with full force and yelled, "IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER!!"

There was a split second where nothing happened at all, and InuYasha's stomach dropped to his feet when he thought that her attempt would fail. Then, the air suddenly came alive with yellow strikes, and Chiyo's attack plunged into the ground and sent grass and dirt exploding everywhere. InuYasha ducked as a particularly large slab of ground came hurtling in his direction, and the dirt flew over him, missing his ear by a hair's breath.  
_'I...I did it!!_' Chiyo thought in excitement, watching in awe as her claws glowed a brilliant gold. She was so caught up in amazement that she didn't realize the ground was rapidly approaching. By the time she noticed she was falling she didn't have time to upright herself.  
"Oh cra-!!" Chiyo managed to blurt out before her head collided with the earth. The rest of her body followed, and she groaned as her muscles cramped up with pain.  
'_I bet this is how InuYasha feels after he gets told to sit_,' Chiyo thought grudgingly, wrenching her body out of the ground and flopping onto her back.

"Idiot!" an annoyed voice snapped at her, and the next thing Chiyo saw was InuYasha's angry head looking down at her. '_I seem to be in this position a lot lately_,' Chiyo noticed.  
"Are you so caught up in your own world that you can't even realize you're falling?" InuYasha continued, glaring down at her. "What's the use of using that move if you can't keep fighting afterwards?!"  
"My...my bad?" Chiyo tried, looking guilty. InuYasha ground his teeth together in irritation.  
"How the hell did I get stuck teaching you how to look after yourself?" he growled to himself, then he held out his hand. Chiyo blinked, staring at it.  
"Come on!" InuYasha snapped. "Lemme help you up!"  
"Huh?" Chiyo said. "Oh. Right," she replied, looking startled. She grabbed his hand, and he yanked her up off the ground.  
"Jeez, as if you don't know what a hand is for," he grumbled, as Chiyo regained her balance.  
"Thanks," Chiyo mumbled sheepishly, and she could again feel herself blushing. She hurriedly brushed herself off in an effort to distract herself.  
"So, you finally managed to achieve something," InuYasha said sarcastically, eying the damage Chiyo had caused the ground to endure. Chiyo started, the swiftly spun round to see what she had done.  
"I did, didn't I?" she exclaimed, and she felt a thrill run through her. "I used Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!"  
She turned to InuYasha. "Isn't that just the most awesome thing ever?!" she cried, her voice rising an octave. "I did the attack!!"  
"You've already used it before," InuYasha pointed out flatly, but Chiyo wasn't listening.  
"Wait til I show Ookami, she'll freak!" Chiyo said in excitement, hopping from foot to foot. "I really can't believe I actually did it!!"  
InuYasha rolled his eyes.  
"You do realise that when you use it in battle, you can't just stand there like a statue for ten minutes getting prepared," he said in frustration. "You better learn to use it quicker."  
"Oh, yeah, of course!" Chiyo replied, turning to him. "Thank you! Thank you so much InuYasha!" she said to him, a huge beam on her face.  
InuYasha started, then looked away. "Yeah, you should be grateful! Getting me to spend all this time out here teaching you survival tactics when I could be doing something better with my life. Keh!" He huffed in annoyance.  
Chiyo's grin faltered a little. "Ah, yeah, I'm sorry," she said, looking down. InuYasha's head whipped around.  
"Don't apologize!" he barked at her, making her jump. '_Damn, she's apologizing to me over nothing_,' InuYasha thought, as Chiyo looked at him in confusion, '_when I still haven't apologized about attacking her when I was demon._'  
"Well, could you make up your mind?" Chiyo asked. "I should be grateful, I shouldn't apologize, what next? I should go propose to Miroku?"  
InuYasha glared at her. "Just...shut up," he muttered, then turned his head and twitched his ears. Chiyo heard it too and turned in unison; the sound of approaching footsteps. She looked to see who was coming, the groaned as she recognised the scent. InuYasha smirked as the one approaching came into view.  
"Well well well, I wonder who that can be?" InuYasha laughed maliciously.  
"If he asks, I'm NOT here," Chiyo growled, quickly jumping behind InuYasha for cover. InuYasha turned to her, grinning evilly.  
"Oh no, I think this is something you can face," InuYasha snickered, then before Chiyo could protest, he launched himself into the air and flipped behind her, and when he landed began to run back in the direction of the village.  
"Wah- InuYasha!!" Chiyo cried, spinning round, but he was already racing off across the field.  
"I'll see ya later!" he called back, and Chiyo's head became covered in anger marks.  
"You better pray you don't see me later!!" Chiyo yelled at him. "You'll regret this!!"  
Chiyo trembled with anger as she saw InuYasha run out of sight. It was then that she began to feel a heat rise under her skin. She abruptly stood up straight and tensed with dread.  
'_Calm down_,' she desperately thought to herself. '_Calm down! You can't get angry, you can't get mad. It'll make you go demon again..._' Chiyo forced herself to relax and felt the heat die down. '_Besides_,' she thought, '_you promised InuYasha. Don't let yourself get angry_.'

"Chiyo?"

Chiyo stiffened, and gritted her teeth together as she heard the voice behind her.

"That is your name, isn't it?" the voice continued. "Chiyo, right?"

Chiyo sighed in exasperation, then grudgingly turned around to face the owner of the voice.

"Koreno," she addressed the so-called mage, fixing him with an ice-cold stare.  
Koreno stood, hunched over, leaning on his staff for support. Kaede had done a decent job healing his wounds, but on the whole he was still very weak and – according to Kaede – shouldn't be walking around for another day or so.  
"What are you doing out here?" Chiyo asked coldly. "You're supposed to be recovering."  
Koreno grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I shouldn't be out here really," he admitted. "Guess I just don't like sitting in one place."  
Chiyo said nothing.  
"I just watched you perfect your new attack," he continued, when he realized Chiyo wasn't going to answer. "It was intriguing to witness."  
"So you were spying on me?" Chiyo growled at him, crossing her arms. Koreno's eyes widened.  
"Oh no, nothing of that sort!" he replied in shock. "I was coming over to you anyway. Your young fox demon friend told me you were training here with...InuWasha?"  
"Inu-YA-sha," Chiyo snapped at him. Koreno nodded.  
"Of course, InuYasha...I haven't quite got everyone's names right yet." He gave a light laugh, then stopped when he saw Chiyo expression remain rigid.  
There was a long silence.  
Chiyo looked over Koreno's face, his expression innocent and slightly taken aback by Chiyo's bitter demeanour. But besides that, his face was also covered in injuries. His jaw looked slightly out of line, he had a large black eye, and when he spoke, Chiyo could see that one of his teeth was chipped. It didn't take Chiyo much to figure out where he had acquired these recent wounds.  
Chiyo bit her lip as she felt a feeling of guilt pang at her insides. She cursed internally. '_How the hell can I hold a grudge against this guy if I'm feeling sorry about what I did?_' Chiyo thought in frustration. '_He's got a lotta nerve, coming up to me after what he did, but after what I did to him, I'm starting to think the situation should be reversed...dammit!_'  
"I came here to apologize!" Koreno suddenly blurted out, and Chiyo blinked out of her thoughts. She kept her silence, though, and continued to just look at him. His expression had become less calm now, and much more guilt ridden.  
"I wanted to apologize," he repeated, more quietly now. "I feel so shamed about what I did to you before. It was incredibly out of line, and I don't know what I was thinking at the time...no," he said, shaking his head, "I can't come up with excuses! There is _no_ excuse for what I did." He looked down to the ground, re-adjusting his grip on his staff. "I can't forgive myself for my actions. But I can only pray that you can." He looked up at Chiyo, his eyes meeting hers. Chiyo saw them, filled with remorse, and she cringed.  
'_Why is he making me feel like this?!_' she yelled at herself. '_This isn't fair! He can't just...just come up here and expect me to forgive him! I have grudge rights, I tell you!!_'  
"Why did you even do that?!" Chiyo suddenly exploded, trying to push her frantic thoughts out of her mind. Koreno jumped, stepping back slightly. Chiyo felt her skin boil once again, and she shut her eyes hard, compelling herself to calm down. Once she had her rage had under control, she opened her eyes and glared at Koreno.  
"Why did you kiss me?" Chiyo forced out, and Koreno's guilty look deepened. He opened his mouth to speak, but Chiyo wasn't finished. "And don't give me any crap about how you thought I was this Aimi person, I already know that! What I want to know is who the hell this person was, and how you made the mistake of confusing _me_ for _her_."  
Chiyo noticed how hurt the mage's face looked now, after she had mentioned the name Aimi. She, not being one to hurt others often, instantly regretted the words. But she worked hard to keep a stern look on her face, as Koreno mustered up an answer.  
"...she..." Koreno swallowed, and Chiyo sensed he was trying to think straight. "...she was my lover...and was killed by Naraku."  
"I heard that," Chiyo said, and he looked at her in confusion. "I was on the roof when you came to," Chiyo explained grudgingly. "Keep going."  
Koreno swallowed again. "Well, we...we travelled together, and she had a particular way of speaking." Chiyo blinked at his odd comment, and saw his grip on his staff tighten. "Your voice...you sounded so much like her."  
Chiyo's voice caught in her throat. '_I sound like this Aimi_?' she thought in shock, her hand reaching up to her neck.  
"So when you caught me when I fell in the field," he continued, "and I heard your voice..."  
Koreno shook his head. "But I was completely wrong, of course," he said, and he seemed to recover a little. "Besides, Aimi wasn't a demon like you. She was human."  
"_Half_-demon," Chiyo corrected harshly, and Koreno started. "And you went all the way to kissing me just on hearing my voice?" Chiyo took a step forward, carelessly invading Koreno's personal space. "Like, c'mon! How stupid can you get?!"  
"It wasn't just the voice," Koreno said quietly, looking up into her face. "It was also your eyes."  
Chiyo abruptly realised that their faces were so close she could feel his breath on her cheek. And the way he looked into her eyes...  
The blood immediately rushed to Chiyo's head and her whole face blushed furiously, and she jumped back, shocked into silence. Koreno continued to stare at her, unmoving and melancholy. Chiyo's mouth hung half open, and her hands trembled. She knew she looked as red as a sunburnt tomato, and she could feel her heart beating loudly in her furry ears. She gulped, in shock about what she was feeling.  
'_You. Should. Hate. This. Guy_," she told herself, but she knew this wasn't going to be happening for much longer. As angry as she had been about him kissing her, she couldn't bring herself to hate him any longer.  
'_What he did to me is nothing compared to what he's been through_,' she thought, as Koreno kept looking at her sadly. Chiyo sighed, then straightened up.  
"Fine," she said gruffly, and he blinked. She glared at him, but her glare had lost most of its intensity. "You...you're forgiven."  
Koreno's eyes suddenly lit up. "I...I am?" he asked, a smile tugging at his lips. Chiyo paused.  
"Yeah," she sighed, "you are. And I'm sorry too...for punching your face to bits."  
Koreno laughed, coughing a little. His grip on his staff lessened as his mood uplifted.  
"But don't get too excited!" Chiyo warned. "You still piss me off!"  
And with that said she turned and began to stomp away.  
"Huh- hey, wait!" Koreno called, then began to hobble after her. "Chiyo!"  
Chiyo didn't look back, but her pace slowed slightly as she allowed him to catch up.  
"Th-thank you," he huffed, the small burst of energy he had used to catch up already wearing him out. "You are truly considerate, Chiyo."  
"Yeah, well don't get used to it," she huffed, but in annoyance, not weariness. She kept her eyes set on the village and was very thankful that her blushing had finally faded away.  
"Hey, did you say before," Koreno continued, struggling to keep up, "that you were a half-demon?"  
Chiyo abruptly stopped, and Koreno tried to as well, but he lost his balance on his staff and began to fall forwards. Chiyo could have let him fall, but she caught him around the waist and swiftly set him upright.  
"Yeah, I did," she replied, as he regained balance. "What of it?"  
"Oh, it's just..." Koreno said, unsure of what to say.  
"What? That half-demons are filth?" Chiyo said sharply. "They're half-breeds? Not really worth existing?"  
"Of course not!" Koreno exclaimed, then clutched his chest as his loud voice strained his injuries. "It's just, I've never met a half-demon before..." he said, more quietly.  
"Really," Chiyo commented. "Well, say whatever you want about them to me, but I swear if you insult InuYasha, I will decapitate you with a spoon. And it hurts more than a sword, I can tell you that."  
Chiyo took pleasure in watching Koreno shudder at her threat.  
"Is...is InuYasha a half-demon as well?" Koreno asked, after his fear passed.  
Chiyo nodded, then continued walking towards the village.  
"And are you his daughter?"  
"WHAT?!!" Chiyo yelled at him, her eyes growing wide. "No _way_!!"  
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Koreno quickly said, flustering at Chiyo's outburst. "It's just, you look so alike...you're not related to each other?"  
Chiyo stared at him, then thought that his accusation about InuYasha being her old man was actually not that bad of a theory. Considering that her DNA was apparently mixed with his. According to Kyon.  
"...we're not related...in that way," Chiyo said, looking at the ground as she walked. It was close enough.  
"Then...is he your older brother?"  
"No! We're not family!!"  
"Ok! Sorry!"  
A short silence followed as they reached the outskirts of the village.  
"You guys sure are different sort of group," Koreno said to her next, limping beside her. "What exactly are you all doing together?"  
"We're-" Chiyo began, but stopped, suddenly wondering what the group _was_ actually doing together. It took her a few seconds to remember that InuYasha and the others were supposed to be gathering shards of the Shikon Jewel. Chiyo's pace slowed, then eventually stopped as she realised that they hadn't been doing that lately. Why was that?  
"Chiyo?" Koreno said, peering at her. Chiyo looked at him, wondering whether she was even allowed to tell him that the others collected the shards.

"Koreno!"

Both started at the voice, then Koreno turned around. Chiyo looked behind him and saw that Kaede was shuffling towards them from her hut, looking strangely annoyed.  
"You shouldn't be outside!" she called, waving her arm at him in frustration. "Come back inside at once!"  
"I've been caught," Koreno muttered, then turned back to Chiyo, smiling nervously. "Thank you again for forgiving me," he said happily. "I'll talk to you later!"  
Then he hobbled as fast as he could back over to the irritated Kaede.  
Chiyo watched him enter the hut, followed by the old priestess, then shook her head and continued her walk into the village. Her thoughts returned to the Shikon Jewel shards.  
'_So why isn't everyone looking for the sacred jewel shards anymore?_' she thought in shock, then started as she figured out the answer. '_It's because we're here,_' she realised, her eyes widening and pace slowing. '_Ookami and I...ever since we got here, they haven't been looking out for jewel shards!_' A sick feeling began to form in Chiyo's stomach. '_Because we're here...is it wrong? Are we stuffing up how this place is supposed to run by being here? It can't be.._.'  
Chiyo stopped, walking making her stomach feel worse. "Dammit," she cursed under her breath. "What if it's true? What happens then?"  
_'We might...have to leave for good..._'  
The thought had barely crossed her mind when she felt a swish of air slice above her head, followed by a glint of metal.  
Instantly fearing the worst, she jumped around, claws raised, and bared her fangs in shock. Next thing she felt was a smack on her sensitive ear, and she grabbed it in pain. She tried to see who was attacking her, and caught a glimpse of a black foot. Then the foot kicked up dust off the ground and into her eyes, and she cried out, covering her eyes. Then the attacker delivered a hard jab into her stomach, her cry became a hard choke, and then she stumbled back, temporarily winded. She lost her balance and slipped over, crashing onto the ground. She desperately tried to scramble up and face whoever – or whatever – her attacker was, when she suddenly felt the tip of something sharp and cold on her throat. Her breath caught, and her first thought was that a claw or talon was against her. But as she looked down, and the last of her dust left her eyes, she saw that it was not a claw but a sword that was pinned against her. Her breathing was heavy and her heart drummed against chest so hard it hurt.  
'_Who the hell-_" Chiyo began to think, but stopped when she picked up a familiar scent. Slowly her head raised up to view her attacker's stern face.  
"Got you," the attacker said, and Chiyo's eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"...Ookami?!"

Her best friend glared at her, the sword still pressed up against her throat. Chiyo's breath was shallow and frantic, and she stared at Ookami, eyes wide and hands quivering.  
'_What is she doing attacking me?!_' Chiyo thought in horror, the cold metal of her sword biting into her neck's skin.  
Ookami paused, then Chiyo felt the blade slowly relax its pressure on her. Suddenly Ookami's glare vanished, and Chiyo began to frown.  
"No use getting into a fight with me now," Ookami said, her face suddenly breaking into a huge grin. "Be prepared to start losing again!"  
Chiyo's frown deepened, but her eyes stayed wide. "Wuh...wha...what...?"  
"Bwahahahahahaha!!" Ookami burst out laughing, then quickly sheathed her sword. "You should see your face! You're whiter than a ghost!!"  
"Ooka...Ookami..." Chiyo stammered, finally finding her voice again. "You..."  
"Like my new fighting style?" Ookami asked happily, as if she hadn't just beat up her best friend and looked like she was about to slice her throat right open. "Guess where I just was? With Sango!"  
Chiyo paused, then shakily began to get to her feet, her neck still tingling from the sword's touch.  
"We finally got around to that training session she said she's give me," Ookami continued, as Chiyo clutched a hut's wall for support. "And although she's a total pain, Sango's actually really good at giving fighting lessons!"  
"So...what that...just was..." Chiyo said unsteadily, "...that was..."  
"The result of today's training!" Ookami replied cheerily, the giant beam still planted on her face. "She told me when attacking demons to go for their weak spots, and since you're always going on about how sensitive your ears are, they were the best shot to go for!"  
Chiyo stared at her friend like she'd just grown another head. "So you used me as a test dummy?!" Chiyo exclaimed, but Ookami wasn't listening.  
"And check out all this neat stuff she gave me!" Ookami continued, pulling some items out from a new pouch attached to her belt. "There's little daggers, shrukien, a gas mask, oh, and these too!"  
Ookami picked up a small pellet tenderly in between her thumb and middle finger, and held it delicately out in front of Chiyo. Chiyo stared at it blankly.  
"What is tha-" she began, but was cut off as Ookami suddenly threw the pellet with all her strength down onto the ground, and it exploded into a billow of smoke.  
"It's a smoke bomb!" Ookami cheered, as she darted away from the thick black gas. "It helps with get-aways and distracting opponents. I feel like some sort of secret ninja when I have all this stuff!"  
The smoke started to clear away, and Ookami waved the remaining gas away from her absently. "Isn't this awesome, Chiyo?!"

"..."

"Chiyo?" Ookami repeated, her smile fading when her friend didn't reply. In fact, Ookami couldn't see Chiyo through the parting smoke. "Chiyo!" Ookami called again, stepping forward. She stopped when she stepped on not ground, but something soft. She looked down and saw her foot was on Chiyo's face.  
"Gah!" Ookami exclaimed, jumping off her friend. "Chiyo, what's wrong?!"  
Chiyo was on the ground, her body twitching, her mouth half open, her eyes dazed, and a drunk look on her face. Ookami knelt down beside her and shook her violently.  
"Chiyo!! What happened?!" Ookami cried, then she suddenly remembered something Sango had told her earlier.

'_Smoke pellets are good for escaping, but they're most effective on opponents with a keen sense of smell. The smoke blinds their eyes as well as their nose, and it usually leaves them unconscious_.'

"..."

"I killed Chiyo!!" Ookami squeaked, then preceded to drag her unconscious friend to Kaede for desperate medical help.

* * *

"That was a rather powerful smoke bomb ye used on her, Ookami."

"I didn't mean to! I forgot she was really sensitive to this stuff!"

Kaede sighed. She flicked some remedial herbs over Chiyo's blocked nose as she tried to clear the smoke from her nostrils. Chiyo was still in her unconscious state, only moving with an occasional twitch. Kaede was working her best, but it was hard to get every part of the gas away from such a powerful blast.  
"Ye should be more careful with what you are given," the priestess instructed her, and Ookami hung her head. Koreno sat up in his futon, from across the other side of the hut.  
"Do you need any assistance?" he asked, as Kaede crushed more of her herbs. Ookami looked up.  
"Sure, if you know anything about how to get a unconscious half-demon who inhaled enough smoke to start a bonfire party lively again," she said, grimacing again at her dazed friend.  
"Actually, I know my fair share about healing and medicine," Koreno replied, slowly standing up and grabbing his staff. "I could have a look at her, I may be able to help more than you might think."  
Kaede and Ookami looked at him, then at each other.  
"Fine then," Ookami sighed. "But I swear, if you start molesting her I will rip you to shreds."  
"I won't do anything of the sort!" Koreno exclaimed, looking hurt. He carefully walked over to the three and knelt down next to Chiyo. He looked her over, then moved his staff over her, and closed his eyes in concentration. There was a silence as Ookami and Kaede watched him in interest, and his breathing became slow and even. Ookami saw him frown, then mutter something under his breath. Suddenly, he swished his staff to the right, making the other two jump. Ookami watched the small leaves wrapped around the staff begin to glow, and Koreno pointed the tip down onto Chiyo's face. He mumbled a few more words, then tapped the end of her nose with the staff. There was a pause, then Chiyo's eyes suddenly snapped open and she let out a loud string of sneezes.  
"Wow, you did it!" Ookami exclaimed, and Koreno opened his eyes and pulled his staff away. Chiyo looked around, still looking dazed.  
"What happened?" she asked groggily, rubbing her face. "My nose feels like it's about to fall off or something."  
"It's good to see you're conscious again," Koreno said, smiling at her. "I should have come over to help sooner."  
Chiyo blinked, waking up a little more. "What did you do to me?" she asked, before delivering another few sneezes.  
"Well, Ookami dragged you in about half an hour ago-" Koreno started, then stopped when Ookami suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth.  
"Now then, Koreno!" she exclaimed, grinning nervously. "I'm just going to go check on Houshi-sama and the others, and you can start the story _after_ I leave. **Got it**?"  
Ookami stressed the last part with a force that made Koreno shudder. There was a pause, then Ookami ripped her hand off Koreno's face and shot out the door quicker than you could blink.  
Villagers stared as they saw a young girl demon slayer power walked past them and as far away from the hut as possible.  
'_That was close_,' Ookami thought, shuddering at the thought of what Chiyo might have done to her if she'd remembered that Ookami had knocked her out in the first place. No sooner than she had thought that Ookami heard a huge scream from the hut she had just raced out of.

"OOKAMI I'M GOING TO BLOODY MURDER YOU!! I'LL FEED YOU TO THE DOGS!!"

Ookami's power walk quickly changed into a full-pelted sprint.

Ookami stopped running when she was certain she'd reached the complete opposite end of the village. She stopped outside one of the newly rebuilt huts, her breath coming in gasps. '_I think I'll give Chiyo a couple of hours to calm down before I go within ten metres of her_,' she decided, grimacing at the thought of what her half-demon friend might be planning for her. She slumped down and rested against the hut, her breathing eventually slowing down and her heart relaxing back to a normal pace. She sat there, wondering how to bide the time she had, when she heard a sound like a slap come from inside the hut.

"Will you keep your hands to yourself?!"

"I'm sorry Sango, you know I can't help myself!"

"You don't sound sorry one bit, you lecherous monk!"

Ookami turned her head as she heard Miroku and Sango arguing from inside, most likely from Miroku's recent groping attack Sango had received. '_Poor Houshi-sama!_' she thought, pouting. '_I betcha his cheek's hurting right now. I shall gladly go and comfort him!_'  
She was just about to stand up and go inside when Miroku spoke again.

"Sango?"

Ookami paused, frowning at the tone Miroku had used. It was full of concern, and very gentle.

"Yes?"

Ookami heard Sango's tone; annoyed, hurt, and somewhat sad.

"Is something bothering you?"

There was silence from Sango. Ookami was frozen in her sitting position outside the hut. She didn't know whether she should go in, walk away, or stay put. Her mind couldn't make up what she wanted.

"It's just..."

Sango sounded reluctant, and Ookami heard slight movement inside. No doubt Miroku was shuffling closer to her; but not for perverted reasons, for serious ones.

"It's about Naraku, and the jewel shards."

Ookami frowned when Sango mentioned the two. '_Naraku?_' she thought. '_And the shards?_'

"We haven't seen either of them for a while now, not since around the time Chiyo first appeared."

"That _is_ true, Sango," Miroku replied.

Ookami's frown deepened. '_Since Chiyo came here?_' she repeated to herself. '_They haven't found Naraku or jewel shards since then? That's a long time by now..._'

"Which part about that bothers you?" Miroku asked quietly, and there was a pause. Ookami waited, feeling her whole body was tensed.  
"Is it because we haven't heard anything of Kohaku for a while now?" Miroku asked, and Ookami knew he was taking a wild guess. She heard Sango gasp quietly.

"...yes," she admitted sadly, and Miroku sighed heavily.

"Please, don't worry yourself with such things," Miroku told her, sounding concerned. "Just because we haven't heard much, doesn't mean at all that we have given up. All we can do is keep searching. I'm certain we'll find your brother, and Naraku, and when we do he'll pay for all his actions."

"...thank you, Miroku," Sango said quietly. "I believe you. I won't let it bother me anymore."  
"Sango," Miroku said, more contently now.

Ookami was still frozen outside, listening to Miroku comfort Sango with his heartfelt words. Her hand was trembling, and she slowly turned her head away from the hut's entrance.

"Houshi-sama..." she said quietly, biting her lip. She was silent for a little, then she gave a soft laugh. She looked up at the darkening sky, as evening was quickly changing into night.  
"...you really are a lucky guy..." she said to the setting sun, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Miroku!!"

Ookami jumped as Sango yelled the name from inside, then she heard Miroku scoot back.  
"Wait, Sango, please! Put your Hiraikotsu down! Don't be rash-!!"  
All his pleading was in vain, and Ookami winced as she heard the boomerang bone collide with the groping monk's head. She decided that this wasn't the safest place to sit anymore, and she quickly hopped up and left, in search for a new resting place.

* * *

"You'd think there'd be at least one free hut in this place," Ookami muttered under her breath, after stomping out of another occupied shelter. But she didn't really have a right to complain, considering most of the huts were filled up with women, children and the injured from the recent demon attack a few days ago. A few more huts had been erected since the battle, but the majority of the village was still in ruins. Ookami felt unnerved looking at all the rubble and debris, but she couldn't avert her eyes in any direction to escape it.  
"Dammit," she cursed quietly, stomping past a few village children playing in the wreckage. Ookami wished she could be as naïve as them at that moment, and just carelessly play away the days without any worry.

Determined to temporarily escape the view of the destroyed place, Ookami spotted a bed of reeds that covered a small stream, which trailed away from the village. She sighed, then changed direction and headed towards it, having no-where else to go.

When she got to the reeds, she saw that they were a lot bigger than she had thought when close up, reaching a head or so above her. She carefully parted them and stepped between their leaves, hopping over their roots and landing next to the thin stream trickling down into the brush.  
"Well this is quaint," she stated, raising her eyebrows with her hands on her hips. "Looks like some secret place that lovers meet or something." She nodded with agreement on her own statement when she spied a bed of water lilies growing along the edge of the delicate bank.

Fragilely she walked down the tiny brook, trying to disturb as little as possible. She reached a point where the reeds spread out a little more and she had room to sit herself down. Gratefully she immediately plonked down onto the soft ground, then absently began twisting one of the reeds in between her fingers.  
'Wonder if Chiyo's calmed down yet,' she thought, then grimaced. '_Nuh uh. I'm gonna play it safe and wait a while longer_.'

Ookami suddenly tensed when she heard a rustling in the reeds behind her. Her hand instantly jumped to the hilt of her sword, ready for anything that might jump out at her.

"Kagome, what are you dragging me all the way out here for?!"

"Will you just be quiet?"

Ookami relaxed as quickly as she had tensed, and rolled her eyes. '_Speaking of a lover's meeting place..._' she thought. '_How ironic._'

"Kagome!" Ookami heard the splashes as the couple walked over the stream. "What is your problem?"

Kagome didn't answer, but instead asked him another question. "Tell me now. What really happened?"

InuYasha paused, most likely in confusion. "What really happened when?" he replied, but there was an edge to his voice, as if he had some idea of what was coming.

Ookami stayed as still as possible. She knew if she moved even the slightest bit InuYasha would hear her, and why he hadn't picked up her scent yet was a mystery to her.

"Back in Kaede's hut earlier," Kagome said, and Ookami saw a slight gap in the reeds where she could see the two without being seen herself. "When Chiyo attacked Koreno."

Ookami saw InuYasha grimace, and turn his head away.

"You didn't tell us everything," Kagome continued sternly. "Whatever reason that was, I want you to tell me now."

"I knew you'd do this," InuYasha muttered under his breath, then he turned back to her. "Yeah, there was more," he admitted, sighing in annoyance. "But I wasn't gonna say it in front of everyone else."  
Kagome paused, waiting for InuYasha to continue.  
"...it's about Chiyo," he started, and Kagome nodded. "When she attacked that Koreno guy...it wasn't like she was just mad at him. She was punching him brutally, being really viscous."  
Kagome nodded.  
"And then, when I went to stop her..." InuYasha gritted his teeth as he remembered, and Ookami frowned.  
"She turned at me, and snarled like I was some sort of vile demon," he said, hands clenching. Ookami remembered that part, but Chiyo had done the same thing to her earlier when she had surprise-attacked her. She had figured that was a half-demon thing.  
Ookami started as a thought suddenly came to her. '_Unless..._' she thought with dread.

"And her eyes..." InuYasha continued, "they were red."

Ookami couldn't help gasping, but Kagome gasped at the same time, overlapping hers and keeping her hidden. '_It happened...again?!_' Ookami thought with fear. _'I didn't see Chiyo's face then because InuYasha was blocking her. Did she become demon in front of him now?!_'  
"R...red?!" Kagome repeated in shock, staring at InuYasha. "Does that mean..."  
InuYasha nodded, his mouth twisted into a disgusted frown. "Yeah," he choked out. "She has a demon side like me. Except hers isn't triggered by injury."  
"And what exactly is hers triggered by?" Kagome asked.  
"Anger," InuYasha replied. "I'm nearly certain of it. I managed to calm her down then, and that's when you guys came in and she started crying. She told me later that she had wanted to..." InuYasha paused, shuddering at the memory. "...wanted to attack me next, not just Koreno. And as she was telling me that, she started freaking out."  
Kagome and Ookami both stared at InuYasha, unmoving and shocked speechless.  
"As she freaked out, the demon started taking over again," InuYasha growled, shaking his head. "And that watch she wears...she was scratching at it like crazy."  
Ookami gulped quietly, then decided she had had enough of eavesdropping. As slowly as she could, she began to stand up.  
"I hit her on the head, to try and snap her out of it...and it worked." InuYasha looked relieved for a second. "But when I asked her what that was all about, she couldn't remember what had just happened."  
"No way..." Kagome whispered, "this is...it's terrible..."  
Ookami was standing now, and she carefully pushed the reeds away from her, revealing herself. "That same thing happened with me," she said.

InuYasha and Kagome both jumped violently, and Kagome shrieked in surprise and slipped back onto to the ground in shock, narrowly missing landing in the stream. InuYasha immediately grabbed his sword and yanked it out of its sheath, pointing it at Ookami and growling in alarm.

"Woah woah, hey wait!!" Ookami yelled in a panic, her hands flying up in surrender and sweat drops appearing all over her head. "Relax, relax! It's just me!"  
InuYasha blinked, then stared at her. "Ookami- what the hell are you doing here?!" he snapped, lowering his giant blade. Ookami sighed in relief, clutching her chest and checking it was still in one piece.  
"I was here before you guys," Ookami defended, as Kagome picked herself up off the ground. "I've been here the whole time you were talking."  
InuYasha frowned, obviously confused at why he hadn't noticed her beforehand. He tched, then roughly sheathed his sword. Both he and Kagome stared at her, and Ookami took this as a sign to continue.  
"The same thing with Chiyo," she said quietly, "it happened to me as well. It was when that demon attacked the village. One of the demon's tentacles had grabbed onto her arm and some sort of purple stuff went into her. After that she was rolling on the ground and attacking the watch like it was on fire or something. And she snarled at me too, with the same red eyes."  
InuYasha paused, then an anger mark appeared on his head. "And why didn't you tell us this earlier?!" he growled.  
"You weren't gonna tell anyone but Kagome what happened, you hypocrite!" Ookami shot back. InuYasha scowled at her.  
"Okay guys," Kagome said, trying to calm the two. She turned to Ookami. "So you're saying this purple stuff was what made her go like this?"  
Ookami paused, then nodded slowly. "There's definitely some sort of connection with it," she said firmly.  
"And we're gonna find out what it is," InuYasha said with determination. "That blasted watch also has some connection with that bastard Naraku. When I get my claws on him, he's going down, dammit..."

* * *

"Chiyo!"

Chiyo looked up from the fire, which she had been staring at in boredom prior to a familiar male voice calling her name. "Miroku," she replied, nodding as he waltzed into the hut, followed by Sango and InuYasha. The three were bathed in orange as the light from the fire was the only source of light left, since the sun had set a good hour or so ago.  
"And Koreno, of course," Miroku added, sitting himself down next to the mage. Koreno smiled and bowed his head as a reply.  
"You people seem rather jaded," he commented, and Chiyo sighed.  
"Not much to do sitting in a hut, is there?" she told him, rubbing the back of her neck.  
"Well, why don't we just have a friendly chat then? It could cure all of our boredom," the monk said, and he handed out a few bottles he had brought with him to everyone. He went to hand one to InuYasha, who was staring out the window, at the thin crescent moon that provided little shine on the village tonight.  
"InuYasha?" Miroku called, nudging the bottle against the half-demon's side, and he blinked out of his daze. "C'mon, join us!"  
InuYasha raised his eyebrows, then took the bottle from Miroku, biting the cork and popping it open with his teeth.  
"So what have you guys been doing this afternoon?" Sango asked, as InuYasha spat the cork out.  
"InuYasha taught me how to use Iron Reaver Soul Stealer," Chiyo said, popping her bottle open with her hands instead. "I am feeling vey accomplished with myself. How about you?"  
"I was teaching Ookami how to fight properly, like you suggested," Sango replied, and Miroku took a swig from his bottle. "She was a little stubborn at first, but she seemed to enjoy it after a while."  
"Ah yes, and then she tested out her new techniques on me," Chiyo growled, and Koreno sweat dropped. "Where is that broken brained excuse for a friend now?"  
"She was following us before, but she seemed reluctant to come in here," InuYasha told her, and now he could see why and Chiyo practically steamed with infuriation. She took a large gulp from her bottle to distract herself, then blinked as the liquid ran down her throat. Immediately her tongue began to buzz with sweet flavour, and her irritation was at ease. She dropped the bottle in shock, as her throat tingled as the drink washed down into her stomach.  
"Holy shmickey, what's in this Miroku?" she asked, but she never got an answer as Sango had punched him in the head as he made yet another groping move against her. InuYasha rolled his eyes and took a mouthful from his bottle, and he pulled the same expression Chiyo had a moment ago. He blinked, stared at the bottle, then both he and Chiyo stared at each other. Almost on cue they both shrugged, then they both took another drink in unison.

* * *

Ookami and Kagome passed Kaede's hut for the forth time, both slowing down in front of it.  
"You ready to go inside yet?" Kagome asked her, and Ookami grimaced. "Or would you rather take another walk around the village?"  
Ookami sighed. "I can't avoid this any longer," she grumbled. "I'm just being a big chicken now."  
"Don't say that," Kagome said kindly. "I'm sure Chiyo will forgive you."  
"Well you're a hundred times more optimistic than me," Ookami muttered, then she steeled up her nerves and walked towards the hut. They both reached the hut door and Kagome pushed aside the cover for them both to walk in. The two girls took one step inside, then stopped in shock at the sight before them.  
Sango was drooped over Miroku's lap, smiling happily as Miroku caressed her behind. Miroku had the same goofy smile plastered on his face. And Chiyo and InuYasha had their arms around each other's shoulders, their eyes half closed and swaying back and forth against each other.  
"You ain't got nothin' against ME," Chiyo said slowly, her speech slurred and drowsy.  
"Zat's what YOU think," InuYasha replied, his words just as hazy.  
Koreno was sitting in the corner, looking quite shocked and nervous. Bottles were strewn across the floor, and everyone's faces were red as could be, except for Koreno's.  
"What the friggles happened here?!" Ookami exclaimed, and Koreno looked up, noticing their presence.  
"Oh, thank the heavens!" he cried, swiftly getting up and half running, half limping towards them. "All of them have been like this for so long, I haven't known what to do!"  
"InuYasha?!" Kagome exclaimed, and he looked up tiredly.  
"Oh, heeeeeey Kagome," he replied, blinking slowly. "Where've you been all zis time?"  
"Hey look, it's you're girlfriend," Chiyo said to him, grinning sillily. "You're in troooooooouble..." She poked InuYasha in the chest., and Kagome blushed furiously.  
"She'z not ma girlfriend," InuYasha replied, turning to her. "Shuddap, you...you...you," InuYasha pouted when he couldn't think of an insult for her.  
Ookami frowned, then picked up one of the empty bottles on the ground. She stared at the jade-green glass, inspecting the bottle all around, then eventually sniffed the neck. "This is-!!" Ookami exclaimed, then glared at Koreno.  
"Why the hell were they all drinking this?!" Ookami yelled at him, and he looked at her fearfully.  
"I-I-I don't know!!" he whimpered. "The monk brought it in, and everyone started drinking...I don't even know what it is!"  
"Ookami, what was in the bottles?" Kagome asked in a panic.  
"Isn't it obvious?" Ookami groaned. "This is _sake_. Rice wine."  
Kagome groaned when the alcoholic drink was mentioned. "Tell me you're joking!" Kagome exclaimed, then she glared at InuYasha. "Why on earth were you drinking sake?!" she yelled at him, but he wasn't listening.  
"Wench!!" he suddenly exclaimed, poking Chiyo back in the chest. "Zat's what you are, a wench!"  
"Don't you DARE call me zat," Chiyo growled, pushing his head away. InuYasha almost lost his balance and nearly rolled onto his back, but he caught himself. Just.  
"I'll call you whatever I want," he growled back, "_wench_."  
"You lookin' for a fight, bastard?" Chiyo replied, rubbing her red nose and scowling at InuYasha. "You're askin' for one!"  
"Oh yeah?" InuYasha replied, glaring back. "Maybe I am!"  
"Zat's it," Chiyo snarled, and she began to stand up. She wavered dangerously as she tried to find some sort of balance, nearly tripping over Miroku and Sango, who were still happily groping each other on the floor.  
"Ha ha!" InuYasha laughed, as he tried to get up himself. "You can't even stand, wench!" He then lost his own balance and slipped onto the floor, legs in the air.  
Chiyo laughed so hard she lost her own balance and fell back, landing in the same position.  
"Wench wench wench!" InuYasha yelled, hopping up onto his hands and knees.  
"Baka baka baka!!" Chiyo shouted back, grabbing at his throat. InuYasha grabbed at hers in sync.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!"

InuYasha and Chiyo both looked up to find a shadow looming over them, then a hand came down on each of their heads in a karate chop motion. They both jerked with pain, then they flopped back onto the floor, unconscious.  
Ookami stood in between them, a ferocious expression on her face. "You two can both go to sleep for a while," she growled, as Kagome dragged Sango away from Miroku behind her.  
"But I wanna be with Miroku!" Sango complained, as Miroku continued to grope the air, too drunk to notice Sango was gone.  
"You'll thank me later, Sango," Kagome reassured her, walking the inebriate demon slayer out of the hut.  
Koreno paused, watching the two girls exit, then he turned to Ookami. "Thank you so much," he said to her, sighing in relief. "You are a saviour."  
"It's nothing," Ookami replied, staring at the two unconscious half-demons on the floor. "I can't believe Houshi-sama gave Chiyo sake. Of all the things!"  
"Well, all we can do is wait for them to wake up tomorrow, right?" Koreno asked, yawning. "I don't know about you, but I'm extremely worn out.  
Ookami yawned herself. "Yeah," she agreed. "C'mon, let's get some sleep."

* * *

_The next morning_

"My head, my head, my freaking head!" Chiyo moaned, clutching her 'freaking' head in pain. Ookami rolled her eyes.  
"Well you shouldn't have drank SAKE last night," she snapped at her. "How could you?! Honestly Chiyo, I thought you were a little smarter than that!"  
"I didn't know what it was!!" Chiyo snarled at her. "Miroku just gave it to us! How was I to know?!"  
Ookami rolled her eyes again.  
"Hey, you two!" Kagome entered the hut where the two were sitting, and the girls looked up at her.  
"A man from another village just arrived here," she told them, and both girls frowned. "He's extremely injured, even more so than Koreno was."  
"Who is he?" Chiyo asked, her hands dropping from her head.  
"He says he came from a village north west of here," Kagome continued. "Apparently his village was attacked by a demon, and he was a survivor who managed to get away."  
"So what, does he want us to slay the demon?" Ookami asked, and Kagome nodded.  
"But there's more," the schoolgirl added. "The man thinks that the demon has a sacred jewel shard in his possession."  
"What?!" both girls exclaimed, looking at each other.  
'_A jewel shard...thank goodness!_' Chiyo thought. '_They're still able to find them..._'  
"Of course, InuYasha and the others immediately said they'd go and retrieve it," Kagome told them. "Koreno says he wants to come to. I'm wondering if you girls are coming."  
Chiyo and Ookami looked at each other. Ookami pouted at Chiyo, in a come-on-we-have-to-go-it's-a-once-in-a-life-time-opportunity-here sort of way. Chiyo sighed.  
"...okay, we'll come," she told Kagome, and Ookami punched the air in excitement. "When do we leave?"

* * *

"Quickly, more bullace I require,"

"Yes Lady Kaede!"

Kaede watched the young boy rush out in search of more of the remedial herb. She looked over the injured man in front of her, trying to cover his wounds with the remaining bandages she had left.  
"Another poor soul destroyed by the sacred jewel..." she muttered to herself. The young boy she had sent out returned then, carrying a sprig of the herb in his hand.  
"My thanks," she said, taking the sprig from him, but at that instant the man in front of her cried out, and Kaede and the boy watched in horror as he spasmed before them. Suddenly his stomach split open and white froth poured out, and the man gave one last jerk before slumping down, motionless. The boy gave a cry and covered his eyes fearfully, and Kaede hurriedly dismissed him from the hut, asking him to fetch help. Kaede stared at the man as the boy ran out.  
"He was...already dead?" she said quietly, her old face forming a frown.

In the air above the village, Kagura closed her fan with one flicking motion. She took one last look at InuYasha and the others departing from the village, then she turned her feather and flew off back to her master.

* * *

Laura: LONGEST. CHAPTER. EVER.  
InuYasha: 19 pages?! How can you write 19 pages?!!  
Chiyo: Everyone's talking about me behind my back.  
Ookami: Join us next time, hopefully Chiyo will be over her hang over by then.  
Laura: Oh, by the way, bullace IS a remedial herb. I looked it up. Bai!


	15. Chapter 15: A Night to Remember

Laura: WHO WANTS TO SEE CHIYO OOKAMI AND KORENO?!!

Chiyo/Ookami/Koreno: I do I do I do!!

InuYasha: Idiots.

Laura: Then go to the link that I just put on my profile – I've done a speed paint of them and posted it on YouTube. And they're CHIBI!!

Sango: Aw, how cute.

InuYasha: Aw, how _not_.

Kagome: Roll review responses!

* * *

Laura: NO WAY AM I ENDING THIS YET **Mirror's Mirage**!!

Ookami: But- there's always a but – she knows exactly how many chapters are left in the fanfic! That's how planned out she is.

Chiyo: Holy shmickey. How many chapters are left!

Laura: Nuh-uh! My lips are totally sealed.

* * *

Chiyo: **Arrowachi**, that smoke bomb _was not funny_.

Ookami: You're right. It was _hilarious_!

Sango: Aha, I _was_ thanking Kagome later, believe me...

Miroku: (pouts)

Laura: You have no idea how hard that baby alien comment made me laugh. Then I re-read the part, and I thought exactly the same thing! xD

* * *

Laura: Oh ma god, **Halftrain**, I hate it too. My parents do it all the time, I give them death glares every time.

Koreno: I'm sweet? (blushes) Why thank you! I'm glad lots of people like me so quickly.

Chiyo: ...(grumbles)

Laura: Eheh, I couldn't help but put the drunken scene in.

InuYasha: WHY, Laura. That was so embarrassing, dammit!

Laura: Anyway, I cannot begin to explain how awesome your review made me feel. I think I may have already said this on dA, but seriously – that was the coolest review I've ever received. Reading til 4 in the morning cause you couldn't close your laptop made me grin so much I thought I needed another face. Thank you, thank you so much for the review of the century! OH AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE FANART EITHER!!

* * *

Miroku: It certainly is getting interesting, **huytemen**. Mwahahahaha!

Koreno: Why is he laughing evilly?

Laura: Cause he's secretly a mastermind~ Scary Houshi-sama!

Miroku: AND WE PLAN TO KEEP YOU CURIOUS! SO THERE!!

* * *

Chiyo: YES **Alice Wolf** WE DID USE YOU IN THE CHAPTER!!

Ookami: Awesome-sauce!

Chiyo: (sweatdrop) Awesome-sauce?

Ookami: Don't bag my awesome-sauce words!

Chiyo: The best OC ever? Woah, that's a mega-compliment...(blushes)

Ookami: Why does everyone like Chiyo better than me? (sob sob)

Laura: No constructive stuff needed, any review is awesome!

* * *

Laura:.............okay I got nothing. Chapter time! (whoosh)

* * *

Chapter 15: A Night to Remember

Ookami was doing her best to stifle her laughter, biting her tongue to stop herself. She could see almost everyone else with their fists in their mouths or turned away from the sight, trying to hold back the same thing.

"Are you sure you two are well enough to be walking today?" Kagome said for everyone, her mouth twitching as she tried to suppress a smile. "I mean, we could wait for a day or so if you'd like-"  
"No way!" InuYasha retorted, not looking behind at Kagome when he answered. "We're gonna have this jewel shard and killed the demon possessing it before tonight. There's no way we're stopping, so shut up and keep walking!"  
On usual standards Kagome probably would have told InuYasha off for his rudeness, but she was afraid if she opened her mouth she'd burst out laughing. So she quickly nodded instead.

"And what about you Chiyo?" Ookami giggled, as she walked behind her half-demon friend. "You sure you don't want to ride on Kirara or something?"  
"Don't make me punch you," Chiyo growled back, also not looking behind her.

"But you guys," Miroku chuckled, grinning hugely with amusement, "you can't even walk straight!"

And it was true. Both Chiyo and InuYasha were having an immensely hard time walking in a straight line. Their feet and legs kept crossing over each other, their arms were out at the sides for balance, their heads swaying from side to side limply. Some steps would be miniscule, some would be giant, all were uneven. Their knees were buckled and they were constantly zigzagging past each other, barely missing colliding heads each time.

"So?" InuYasha snapped. "Like I care! All that matters is that we get that Shikon shard!"  
"What he said," Chiyo added tiredly.  
Ookami sighed, shaking her head and smiling. "I always knew you were broken brained, but not to this extent Chiyo."  
"Shut up!" Chiyo yelled, and she spun around to face her, ready for an argument. Unfortunately her feet were crossed over and she tripped over them, and began falling forwards. Ookami went to catch her, but the mage walking beside her was quicker.

"Are you alright?" Koreno asked, holding Chiyo round her waist. "Easy there!"  
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Chiyo flustered, eager for Koreno to let go of her. Memories of the previous day where she had been nose to nose with him flooded into her head, and her face went red. "Put me back up, please!"  
Koreno carefully set her upright, refusing to let go until he was sure she'd recovered her balance. "Be more careful," he said firmly. "Don't push yourself."  
"Don't worry Koreno," Ookami laughed, patting him on the shoulder, "Tangles here is never careful; there hasn't been one day I've been with her that she hasn't tripped, slipped or broken something."  
Chiyo gave Ookami the evilest of evil glares.  
"Hurry it up!" InuYasha growled, but then lost his own balance trying to turn also. Unfortunately no one was there to catch him, leaving him to plonk onto the ground with his legs in a knot and a scowl on his face.  
Kagome sighed, then went over to untie InuYasha's limbs. "You guys have the biggest hangover from last night," she stated, and InuYasha pulled a face when she pulled his leg the wrong way, resisting the urge to kick out (lest he hit her in the face). Ookami nodded in agreement.  
"Then how come monk and slayer over there aren't struggling to stand?" Chiyo said in annoyance, and their heads rose in unison at their mentioning.  
"My theory is that you and InuYasha are both half-demons," Miroku told her.  
"Yeah, thanks for stating the obvious," InuYasha shot at him, wincing as Kagome bent his other leg in a way it wasn't supposed to bend.  
"Let me finish," Miroku continued, arching an eyebrow. "You two clearly have senses that are enhanced much more than that of a human." He turned to Sango next to him. "Sango and I are red in the face and slightly dizzy, but it's tolerable for us. But for you two," he said, turning back to Chiyo and InuYasha, "you are plainly having a harder time dealing with the side effects of being hung over, seeming as your senses are much stronger than ours."  
"That's reasonable," Chiyo agreed, as InuYasha finally managed to get to his feet.  
"We don't have time for this!" he barked, beginning to stomp forward. "We need to get this over and done with!!"  
InuYasha had forgotten to put his arms out for balance and therefore slipped and fell the moment he finished his sentence.  
'_This will be a long day_,' Shippo thought tiredly, as Kagome went to help him back up yet again.

After many failed attempts to get InuYasha walking, the impatient boy finally found his feet and was forced to walk slowly and steadily to their destination by Kagome, to avoid giving himself a serious head injury. By midday when everyone stopped for a lunch of vegetables and dried meats, courtesy of Kaede, the two half-demon's heads were finally clearing up and they were able to maintain a _generally_ straight walking pattern.  
"Y'see?" InuYasha snapped with a mouth full of chicken meat. "We didn't need to wait at the village for a whole day just cause we had a little sake last night. You worry too much, Kagome!"  
"Come to think of it," Chiyo said, lowering her meal of simple vegetables and beef, "I can't remember much from last night at all. What exactly happened while we were drunk?"  
Without missing a beat, Ookami spoke. "You and InuYasha were doing it in the corner while Miroku and Sango cheered you on."

There was a split second of utter silence. Then,

"_**WHAT?!!!!!!**_"

"OOKAMI!!"  
Chiyo and InuYasha leapt onto her, while Sango, Miroku, Koreno and Kagome just sat there with their mouths open. Shippo only blinked innocently.  
"Tell me you're joking!!" InuYasha cried, a look of utter terror on his face. "That didn't happen, did it?!!"  
"You lying, Ookami!!" Chiyo cried even louder, shaking her friend so hard she looked like a rag doll. "It has to be a lie!!"  
InuYasha and Chiyo both turned to look at each other simultaneously, and then they pulled disgusted yet still terrified faces.

"Actually yes, that was a lie."

Chiyo and InuYasha snapped back to look at Ookami, who had a huge grin on her face.  
"I was just joking," she reassured them, laughing evilly. "Don't worry, that never happened!"  
The two half-demons stared at her, twitching. Behind them Miroku and Sango looked relieved that it hadn't really happened, while Kagome and Koreno both face palmed. Shippo and Kirara looked at each other, still innocent and confused.

"Ookami..."

Ookami's next vision was of two fists plummeting to her face, then she blacked out.

"Ah! Chiyo! InuYasha!!" Kagome cried, as Ookami flopped back onto the grass. Both InuYasha and Chiyo stood beside each other, fists clenched and breathing heavily.  
"You knocked her out!" Miroku exclaimed, as Sango got up and ran round to the unconscious girl.  
"You guys!" Kagome snapped at them. "How could you do such a thin-"  
"SHE HAD IT COMING!!" both half-demons yelled at her, and every one jumped. Kagome blinked, then nodded quickly in agreement at the two's ferocious expressions. Not another word was said until Ookami regained consciousness.

* * *

"Are we nearly there?"

"Shut up Chiyo. We get there when we get there," Ookami growled at her. Being knocked out by her best friend and the rampaging Inu-chan had put her in a bad mood.  
"She's right," Sango agreed, walking alongside them. "The villager said it was a good day's walk until we reached his home. We'll get there by tonight, don't worry."  
Chiyo eyed the sun, as she guessed it was about an hour or so until sunset. '_I __**can**__ endure another hour of walking_,' she told herself.  
"Tonight's not quick enough!" InuYasha insisted, as he had been all day. "We're gonna get there in half the time!"  
"You've said that three times already InuYasha," Shippo mumbled, and he earned himself a glare.  
"If we had a dragon we'd be there in ten minutes," Chiyo commented tiredly. She blinked when everyone gave her weird looks.  
"What?" she asked, then she started. "Ah, did I say that out loud?"  
"Should've figured," Ookami laughed, most of the others joining in. "If it's not anime, then it's dragons you're thinking about, am I right?"  
"Same with you and Miroku," Chiyo retorted, smirking when she saw her face turn bright red. Miroku gave a perverted smile, while Sango huffed and looked away.  
It was then that Chiyo picked up a scent ahead of them. Both she and InuYasha stopped at the same time, everyone else following suit a second later.  
"What's wrong?" Koreno asked, as the two half-demons peered ahead. "Can you see something?"  
"More like smell something," Chiyo replied, and InuYasha's ears perked up. It didn't smell familiar to her, so she assumed it was some sort of demon. "Do you know what it is, InuYasha?"  
"Can't say," InuYasha replied, his hand rising to his hilt cautiously. "Never smelt anything like this before."  
The group tensed in sync, readying themselves for anything that might come out of the trees in front of them. Shippo hopped into the basket of Kagome's bike and buried himself deep down, peering over the top with wide eyes.  
The bushes rustled, and InuYasha gripped his hilt. "Show yourself!" he shouted angrily. "Coward!"  
The bushes rustled again, then a brush close to the ground parted, and a small being poked its head out. It was fluffy, and bright yellow, and very cute looking. The group all pulled faces as the creature sniffed at them, looking nervous. InuYasha growled in annoyance, letting go of his hilt.  
"Damn, we got worked up over some little mouse thing?" he barked, but he turned around as both Ookami and Chiyo gasped. The group turned to them, and they both had astonished faces, staring at the little being with open mouths.  
"Is that-? !" Chiyo choked.  
"Th-that's a-!!" Ookami cried.  
The small creature had decided it was afraid of the group, and it turned tail and ran back into the bushes.  
"Gah!!" both girls yelled, and they started running full pelt after it, disappearing into the bushes. "Come back!!" the rest heard the two cry from inside the forest.  
"H-hey! Get back here!" InuYasha yelled, but they were already gone.  
Chiyo raced after the creature, and she could hear it scampering across the forest floor in fright. '_It couldn't be_...' Chiyo thought, then she shook her head frantically. '_I have to see it! Was it really what I think it was?!_'  
"Chiyo, wait up!" Ookami called from behind her, but she ignored her and kept running as fast as possible. '_Sorry Ookami_,' she thought, '_but I'm not losing this thing just so you can catch up!_'  
She occasionally caught glimpses of yellow through partings in the brush, as the creature tried its best to outrun Chiyo's half-demon speed. Chiyo could hear herself getting closer and closer to the creature's footsteps, as Ookami's became softer as she fell further and further behind. Eventually Ookami's sounds of running disappeared completely, and Chiyo guessed she had run out of breath and stopped. She focused on following the zigzagged tail that was getting closer with each hastened step she took. She soon found herself running side by side with the yellow creature, which saw her out of its peripheral vision and tried to run faster to escape her. The brush thinned for a second and Chiyo caught another proper look at the creature, and gasped as her assumption had been correct.  
"You _are_ a-!!" she exclaimed, but the creature suddenly changed direction in a desperate attempt to loose her. Chiyo skidded with surprise and swung her weight around to follow it, placing one foot across the other.  
Abruptly, the air around her seemed to become incredibly thick and her throat closed over with shock. Her whole body suddenly felt extremely heavy, and her limbs moved as if in slow motion. The forest around her almost flickered, reminding Chiyo of a jumpy DVD, or a glitchy game, where the graphics were choppy and constantly broke up. Her foot descended closer and closer to the ground at a painfully slow speed, and panic welled up inside her as she wondered what the hell was going on.  
Then, as suddenly as it had started, the sensation ended as her foot touched the ground. Her limbs became light again, her speed returned, and the forest stopped flickering. Chiyo was caught completely off guard by the second change in atmosphere and she fell forwards, tumbling heavily against the forest floor. She rolled and bashed against the ground painfully and with great force, and she feebly tried to cover her vulnerable head with her hands. Sticks scratched at her face and body, leaving thin but strongly stinging cuts across her skin. Her flight across the forest floor ended abruptly when her back slammed against a tree trunk, and the wind was knocked out of her, nearly dragging her consciousness along with it.

Gravity pulled her body down onto the ground, and her breath came out stuttered and high from her open mouth. Her eyes were wide and astonished, and the only movement she could make was a slight twitch of her fingers.  
'_.......what.......the hell........was that........_'  
Even thinking seemed like a chore. Her body felt like one aching throb, and every second passed like an age. Her breath began to return, but so slowly Chiyo felt like she was about to suffocate. She couldn't breathe in properly, and this brought on a series of coughs to try and clear her closed throat.

"Chiyo, is that you?!"

Chiyo's eyes flickered up quickly to see who was approaching, since she was unable to move anything else. It was InuYasha and the others, who she and Ookami had left behind. They all ran up to her and knelt down, looking quite shocked.  
"Did you just take a nasty fall or what!" Miroku exclaimed, as Kagome began to help her up. Chiyo couldn't do anything to support herself, so InuYasha joined in lifting her up off the ground and leaning her against the tree she had crashed into. Chiyo winced at their touches, every movement aching some part of her body.  
"Did something attack you?" InuYasha asked harshly. "Was it that little mouse thing from before?"  
Chiyo found the strength to gulp down some air, then shook her head minutely.  
"Always looking for another demon to cut in half," Shippo commented, rolling his eyes at InuYasha.  
"What made you fall like that?" Sango asked, and everyone looked at her expectantly. Chiyo wanted to answer, but she was finding it hard even to look up at all of them, let alone speak. Her head was dazed and still spinning from her being knocked about, and her vision was switching between sharp and fuzzy at a dizzying speed.

"She's really hurt," a new voice said, and Koreno came into Chiyo's vision. "Move back please," he continued, referring to the group huddled around her. He sounded polite, but he held an edge to his voice, and everyone complied. Now the only one Chiyo could focus on was the mage, as he looked over her body and checked for any external injuries. He then began pressing his hands in between her joints, and Chiyo still winced at every touch. "Sorry," he muttered apologetically. "I'm just checking for broken bones."  
Chiyo gulped again, finding a little more strength to speak. "What are you…" she said almost inaudibly, "a doctor or something…?"  
"A doctor?" he asked questionably, raising his eyebrows. "What's that?"  
"Never mind- ah!!" Chiyo exclaimed, as he pressed down on her left side. "Holy schmickey, that hurts!!"  
Koreno frowned. "One of your ribs is broken," he realized, and Kagome leaned down.  
"You're not serious!" she said worryingly, as Chiyo gritted her teeth and tried not to yell in pain in Koreno's face.  
"Argh, why are you so damn stupid!" InuYasha barked, glaring down at Chiyo. "Trust you to fall over and break a bone when we're in a rush to get to-"  
"InuYasha, sit boy!" Kagome snapped, and the half-demon came crashing to the ground behind everyone. Koreno was the only one who seemed shocked about the command. Chiyo could see the countless questions practically appear on his face.  
"Just ignore that," Miroku cut in, obviously noticing Koreno's confused face as well.  
"It's nothing new," Sango added, rolling her eyes. Koreno blinked, then cautiously went back to checking Chiyo's ribs as InuYasha let out a muffled groan.  
"It doesn't feel too bad," he murmured, reaching one hand behind him and pulling his staff out of nowhere. "I could probably fix it."  
"Probably…?" Chiyo half-whispered worryingly. "I'm not gonna sprout another head if you get something wrong, am I?"  
"Of course not," Koreno replied, sounding hurt. "You don't think I'm _that_ bad, do you?"  
"What are you going to do?" Shippo asked, peering at him from behind Miroku.  
"I'm simply going to try and heal the bone," Koreno answered, as he positioned the tangled knob of his staff over Chiyo's left side. Chiyo hissed as the wood scraped over the tender area.  
Koreno became silent, his expression suddenly serious. A hush fell over the others as they waited tensely to see what would happen. Even InuYasha, who had managed to wrench his head out of the ground, was quiet.  
Chiyo watched intently as Koreno's eyes closed, and he placed his hand carefully over her injury. He pressed the staff closer to her, and a sharp pain stabbed at Chiyo's insides. She bit her tongue to stop her from yelling like a whingeing toddler as she tried to tolerate the pain. She also tried to stop herself from laughing as Koreno began to mumble some sort of spell, which sounded like mystic mumbo-jumbo to her.  
The silence continued as Koreno cast his spell, and Chiyo began to feel very awkward. She could feel a slight tingling under the mage's hand, which wasn't helping with her awkwardness. '_Does he have to be so touchy-feely about everything?_' she wondered, grimacing as the tingling strengthened. '_Sure, I may sound and kinda look like this Aimi person, but he can't just try and warm up to me because of that! Ack, this is all sounding really similar to the InuYasha-Kikyo-Kagome scandal…_' Chiyo fought back a groan, and she looked down at Koreno, who was still muttering under his breath. She saw his face deep with concentration, his hair softly falling over his eyes. She heard his breathing slow and his mutters quieten, and then the tingling changed to a warmness that spread over her injured area. She sighed deeply as the pain slowly began to ease. Koreno's eyes were shut as he continued to heal her, and Chiyo saw a thin bead of sweat trickle down his neck. Her eyebrows rose. She hadn't actually taken thought on how difficult spells might be to cast. '_Maybe it takes a lot more effort than what I thought_,' Chiyo wondered, as the warmth altered the pain into a dull throb. Koreno's breath became deeper as he struggled to keep his concentration. Chiyo could feel warmth on her face now as well as her side, her heart beating rapidly when she realized she was blushing.  
'_Crap in a bucket_,' she thought, feeling incredibly stupid. And embarrassed. And angry. And frantic. And…she couldn't place the other feeling. Pausing, she watched as Koreno gently placed his free hand on the knob of his staff. As his fingertips brushed by her side, the feeling hit her in the face, hard.

'_I…like him?!_' she thought, and her mind instantly went into protest lock-down. She mentally composed herself, calming down as much as she could. '_But that's…I mean…that's ridiculous! We've only just met, and…he's practically assaulted me already! Like, come one!! And he's…he's!...He's...actually…….really cute…_'

Chiyo couldn't believe what she was thinking, but her protests and accusations were rapidly being snuffed out by the new feelings of embarrassed like towards Koreno. And the tingling warmth _was not helping_.

Koreno breathed out, and Chiyo forced herself to look away, trying to think straight. She could feel all eyes on her, but thankfully they were looking at her side, not her face.

'_So…do I really like him, or did I just hit my head way too hard or something?_' she pondered, pouting. She sneaked a sideways glance at him, and her protests completely caved.  
'_Despite having no respect for personal space_,' she thought, as his whole hand was placed on her aching side now, '_Koreno is…actually a-_'

Koreno abruptly slammed his palm into Chiyo's injury, snapping the rib back into place.

"SON OF A _BITCH_!!" Chiyo finished out loud, as the others jumped back in shock. Chiyo immediately clutched her side, which had rapidly began throbbing painfully again. "What the _hell_ did you do that for?!"

"I'm sorry," Koreno apologized, standing up and smiling sweetly. "I had to push the bone back into the right spot."

"Then why didn't you tell me what you were about to do?!"

"I thought it would be best to get it over with quickly, that's all. Like a bandage!"

"You little…" Chiyo growled at him, doing her best to stand up. '_I hate him_,' she thought furiously. '_I definitely hate him!_'

As Kagome helped Chiyo to stand up all the way, Shippo popped out from behind Sango's leg. "Hey Chiyo," he began, "why hasn't Ookami come back yet?"

Chiyo blinked, then looked around. "Wait, you didn't see her when you caught up to me?"

"Caught up to you?" Miroku repeated questionably. "Chiyo, we haven't moved from where you raced off chasing that yellow thing. When you fell before, it was from behind us."  
Chiyo paused, staring at the monk in confusion. If she had come back from behind the group, then that would have meant she'd run in a complete circle.  
"But…that doesn't make sense," Chiyo told him. "I ran straight ahead the whole time."  
"Huh?" Kagome answered, frowning. "You couldn't have done that."  
"But I _did_," Chiyo insisted. "So how did I-"  
Chiyo stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly remembering her ordeal that had caused her to fall before. The others all stared at her as she stayed silent.  
"…before, when I fell," Chiyo began quietly, "I had this really weird feeling."  
"What feeling?" InuYasha asked, looking sternly at her. The look he gave her reminded Chiyo of her mum's tell-me-or-else face.  
"It was like…a slow motion feeling," she said slowly, trying to remember how she felt. Several sets of eyebrows rose in unison. "Look, I don't know how to explain it!" Chiyo snapped defensively. "But…it just…it was just weird," Chiyo concluded, having nothing else to say. "Then I fell, and ended up here."

There was a long pause as Chiyo looked at the ground thoughtfully, and every else looked at her strangely. Then Chiyo abruptly started.  
"So, you guys didn't see Ookami?" she asked, looking up. Sango shook her head.  
"Nah, we didn't," InuYasha answered, turning. "I can smell her though, she's up ahead in the forest."  
Chiyo picked up her scent, too, and she stepped forward. "Come on, we better catch up to her," she said, and she limped forward, her side still hurting.

* * *

Wandering through the forest for a few minutes, the group called out Ookami's name as Chiyo and InuYasha tracked her scent. It struck Chiyo that she had an urge to get down on the ground like a dog and sniff her out that way, which then caused her to pull a disgusted face. Right after the thought had crossed her mind, InuYasha knelt down on all fours and put his nose to the ground.  
"She's close," he told them, and not a second later a groan escaped from the trees ahead.

"I'm over heeeeeeeeeeeeeere…_ugh_…"

"Ookami!" Chiyo darted ahead of InuYasha and the others, pulling aside a tree branch and revealing her friend. She was lying face down in the dirt, and her legs and arms were sprawled out around her. If Chiyo's side still wasn't aching so bad she would have laughed.  
"What happened to you?" Chiyo asked, kneeling down next to her as the others appeared from behind her. Ookami's head rose weakly.  
"I fell," she said simply, and Chiyo frowned. "But really hard. And you're not gonna believe what happened to me before that."  
"I have a feeling we might," Sango told her. Ookami gave her a glare for contradicting her.  
"She doesn't look as injured as you were," Koreno commented, kneeling down beside Ookami, next to Chiyo. Chiyo visibly shuffled sideways, keeping a clear distance between them. Ookami started to prop herself up.  
"Any broken bones you can feel?" the mage asked her. "Head injuries, sprained limbs……loss of dignity?"  
Chiyo snorted stifling a giggle. Ookami's glare directed at Koreno.  
"Shut up, I'm fine," she retorted, getting up. "I'm not as hopeless as Tangles here, I don't fall over every five minutes when walking on flat ground."  
"I have a hang over, it's not my fault!" Chiyo snapped, also getting up.  
"I wasn't referring to your hang over, that's more of your every day persona."  
Chiyo was the one to glare now.  
InuYasha rolled his eyes. "You guys never quit at it, do you?" he said flatly. "Will you just tell us what happened already?"  
Chiyo and Ookami stared each other down for a few moments, before Ookami finally sighed exasperatingly and turned to him.  
"When I fell, the air – don't laugh, cause it sounds stupid – the air went all thick and I couldn't breathe. And it felt like I was falling in slow motion."  
Chiyo was about to speak up, but Ookami kept talking.  
"And then everything around me disappeared, and I was floating in black."

"Huh?" everyone exclaimed, staring at her. Chiyo's mouth hung open.  
"What did you say?" she asked, frowning. Ookami looked away.  
"See, I told you ya wouldn't believe me! Just, forget I said anything, okay? It's not-"  
"No, we do believe you," Chiyo reassured her, and Ookami looked back at her. "Ookami, the same thing just happened to me."  
Ookami's eyes widened. "Really?" she gasped, gawking. "So, you heard that voice too?"  
Chiyo paused. "Okay, lemme correct myself," Chiyo said hastily. "I had that falling in slow motion sensation. But I didn't see any black…or hear any voices. What did you hear?"  
Ookami's mouth opened and closed once. She looked down, reliving the past moments in her head.  
"I fell…" she started slowly, "and then the forest vanished, and I was surrounded by black. And my body was, like, all light and floating – you know, there was no gravity, wherever the hell I was. And then, this voice just whispered in my ear…"  
"And what did it say?" Miroku asked, and Chiyo noticed the group was slightly leaning forward, including her.  
"It said, 'Come to me'…" Ookami answered. "It was really freaky. And then, I just…it just disappeared, and I was back in the forest, and I fell onto the ground. It hurt," she added, grimacing. She looked at Chiyo. "So, what happened to you then?"  
"Pretty much the same, minus the black and the creepy voice," Chiyo answered.  
"So what actually hit you guys?" Kagome asked.  
"How the heck should I know?" Ookami cried, but more to herself it seemed. She looked pretty annoyed. "Grah, what the hell happened?!"  
"Calm down, will you," Chiyo muttered, rolling her eyes. "We'll figure it out soon enough."  
"Uh, guys?" Shippo said from Kagome's bike basket. "Not to change the subject, but I think we should start setting up camp. The sun's about to set."  
The group all looked up to the sky and, sure enough, the light above them was a deep orange, and the sun was only half visible from over the hills.  
"He's right," Sango sighed. "I guess the Shikon shard will have to wait til tomorrow."  
InuYasha growled, then punched an unlucky tree he happened to be standing next to. The bark crumbled under his fist with an audible crunch. He then stalked off, under the startled gazes of the others, muttering curses under his breath.  
"What's up with him?" Koreno asked when the half-demon had disappeared into the brush. Kagome sighed.  
"Don't worry, he'll be back soon enough," she replied. "He's just annoyed because we wasted time and didn't get to the shard today." She turned to the others. "Come on, let's call it a day."

* * *

"So you want me to just capture her? And what's in it for me?"

"I've already given you a shard of the Shikon Jewel. Is that not enough for you?"

"So you're planning to let me keep it? How _very_ generous of you."

"I want her alive. Make sure she is when I come to collect her."

"So as long as she's alive, I can torture her all I want?"

"Do as you wish."

The demon gave a devilish grin. "And what of the others with her? Do I leave them?"

"If chance permits it, kill them. But the main priority is the girl. Do not forget that."

"Whatever. You can have her, I already have the whole village at my feet." Saying this, the demon laughed sickeningly, turning. "Come pick her up when you're ready, _Naraku_."  
The demon left the room, and Naraku turned his head. '_Pathetic_,' he thought. '_That demon is blind. Hopefully he won't be completely useless as well._'

In the corner, Kanna's mirror flickered, and Chiyo's face faded away from the glass.

* * *

"**ARGH,WAIT A SEC**!!"

The whole group jumped as Ookami's voice cut through their conversation. The fire they were sitting around flickered as Ookami stood up abruptly in shock. "I can't believe we forgot!!" she continued, and everyone stared at her blankly.  
"We?" Chiyo asked. "We as in _who_, exactly?"  
"We as in _you_," Ookami answered, and Chiyo's eyebrow twitched. "We forgot about that thing we saw!!"  
Chiyo paused for a split second, wondering what the friggles Ookami could be talking about, then jolted suddenly as she remembered. "Ah- holy moly!!" she exclaimed, standing up just as Ookami had. "We did forget!!"  
"Forget what?" Kagome asked, thoroughly confused.  
"Wait," Miroku said, "are you talking about that yellow thing you girls chased after before?"  
"Yes!!" the girls exclaimed, and finally everyone was on the same page.  
"Omigosh, Chiyo, was that what I really think it was we saw?!" Ookami cried, and Chiyo nodded vigorously.  
"It was, it was!!" she replied. "I caught up to it and saw it properly; it _was_ what we really think we really saw!!"

Kagome couldn't help but notice their conversation sounded a lot like a Dr. Seuss novel at that point.  
"And what exactly was it that you _saw_?" she asked, becoming frustrated at being left in the dark.  
The two panic-stricken girls turned to Kagome with wide eyes and shaking hands.

"It was a _Pikachu_!!"

Words could not describe the look Kagome gave the pair.

"A…what?" Sango asked, and everyone else looked equally confused. "What was it you saw?"  
Kagome was still gawking at the girls, her face visibly twitching.  
"Kagome, are you alright?" Shippo asked, tugging lightly on her skirt. Kagome slowly closed her mouth and gulped, as Chiyo and Ookami stared at her desperately.  
"You saw…_what_?" Kagome asked, her voice a whisper.  
"A Pikachu!" the girls exclaimed again, and Kagome had to use all her strength to keep her mouth closed.  
"…but…but...that's…" Kagome stuttered.  
"Impossible!!" Ookami cried.  
"Insane!!" Chiyo cried even louder.  
"What's a...Pikachu?" Koreno asked.  
"It's a Pokémon," Chiyo hurriedly answered, before going right back to freaking out. The rest weren't really satisfied with her answer, though.  
"What...why...are you sure that's what you saw?!" Kagome asked, shaking her head. "Because I didn't see it properly, InuYasha was in the way..."  
The girls nodded vigorously. "Trust us, we know what we saw," Ookami answered, before turning back to Chiyo. "But why?!!" she wailed, shaking her friend in frustration and angst. "Are we going crazy?! Tell me we're not going mad, Chiyo!!"  
Chiyo couldn't answer because she was being shaken so hard by her psychiatric friend. Ookami quickly realised this and let her go abruptly.  
"I don't think we are," Chiyo replied weakly, clutching her dizzy head. "But I think all that shaking just knocked a theory into my head."  
The others, through with being ignored, muttered stuff about going to get more firewood or patrol for bandits, and left the three girls.  
"What's the theory?" Kagome asked, as Chiyo and Ookami plonked back down.  
"Well, it's not even a proper theory," Chiyo admitted, "but I don't think that seeing that thing and us two having those weird falls was just a coincidence."  
Ookami paused. "Yeah, you're probably right," she said slowly. "But it still doesn't explain _why_!!" she added frantically.  
"Look, how am I supposed to know?!" Chiyo cried, throwing her hands up in frustration. "It's driving me nuts too, okay?!"  
"Maybe," Kagome said quietly, and the two turned to her. "Maybe…it's the watch again?"  
All three pairs of eyes were immediately drawn to Chiyo's right wrist yet again. Chiyo tched.  
"This thing is going to be the death of me," she growled, glaring at it. It was then that she noticed the screen was flickering very lightly. She peered at it more closely. '_That wasn't happening before_,' she thought, as the screen continued to flash softly. Frowning, she looked up.  
"So it all pretty much leads back to Naraku," she stated, and the other two nodded. "When we get this Shikon shard, we need to find him and pommel an answer out of him."  
"This coming from the girl who was scared to bits of him a month ago?" Kagome commented, and Chiyo sweatdropped. Truth be told, her stomach felt sick just at the thought of getting anywhere near him again.  
"But," Kagome continued, "remember we've all been searching for him as well, and it's rare we can ever get a good lead. And rarer still to get a good hit to him whenever we do find him."  
"Ugh, you're right," Ookami groaned, and Chiyo hung her head. "This is gonna take a while, ain't it?"  
Ookami turned to her friend when she didn't answer. "Chiyo?" she asked, nudging her friends arm. Ookami noticed her hand was pressed to her stomach. Chiyo looked up briefly.  
"Sorry," she said. "My stomach just hurts. A lot, actually," she added, grimacing.  
"Ooh, it's not that-time-of-the-month again, is it?" Ookami laughed, grinning. Chiyo quickly delivered her a punch to the head.  
"No," she answered frustratingly, as Ookami clutched her skull. "I'm just gonna go for a lie down," she continued, standing up slowly. Kagome nodded and Ookami muttered angrily, "Yeah, you do that."

Chiyo wandered through the bushes aimlessly, finding a place to sit comfortably. Finding a suitable spot, she carefully placed herself down and sighed as her stomach continued to ache.  
'_Maybe I'm just worried too much about Naraku?_' she wondered, but shook her head as another stabbing pain jabbed at her insides. '_Nope, not that_,' she thought grudgingly, groaning. She lay back against the tree behind her and looked up at the nearly-dark sky. The last of the sun was melting away as the light became thinner and thinner.  
'_I wonder where InuYasha got too_,' she thought suddenly, noticing he hadn't returned from his storm-off earlier that evening. '_Maybe he met up with a demon or something…? Nah, he'd be okay to handle something like that by himself…or maybe he-_'  
Chiyo's thoughts were interrupted suddenly as her body abruptly stiffened against her will. She gasped with shock, and then she felt a huge pulse radiate from her body. She choked on the air as her stomach's pain intensified and her muscles clamped up beyond her control.  
'_What…what…what's happening?!_'

* * *

"So…you don't think she hates me anymore?"  
Ookami looked over at Koreno. "Nah, she replied, patting his shoulder. "She just tends to be a stubborn idiot who pretends to hold things against people. Relax, she'll warm up to you in no time!"  
Koreno looked slightly relieved. "Thanks," he replied, smiling. "I'm just worried I may have pushed her too far, maybe…"  
Ookami sighed. "Like I said, don't worry." She poked at the crackling fire with a stick, which was the only remaining light left. The sun had just set, and the crickets were noisily chirruping around the camp in the darkness. Everyone else had returned, and was beginning to roast their skewers of meat for dinner over the fire.  
Well, almost everyone had returned. Chiyo was still having her lie down, and InuYasha had failed to show himself since he had stalked off in a huff earlier. Ookami saw Kagome, her hand resting on one hand, staring glumly into the fire. '_She's probably worried about him,_' Ookami thought, pouting. '_Why must you be a self-centred jerk sometimes, Inu-chan?_'

"EEEEEEEEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

Everyone jumped violently as the scream echoed around them, Ookami, Kagome and Shippo dropping their skewers in fright. The next second the group had jumped up, ready for anything that might attack them from the forest.  
"Wait- that sounded like Chiyo!!" Ookami noticed, pulling her sword out of her sheath. Despite fear filling her from head to toe, she still couldn't help feeling badass when she drew her weapon out. She swivelled round when the sound of frantic footsteps approached through the trees. "Chiyo, is that you?!"  
Suddenly a red and brown shadow came bursting out of the brush, identifying itself as Chiyo when it tripped over a low branch and came skidding into the campsite over the ground. As Chiyo slumped down at Koreno's feet, the group surrounded her, and Ookami knelt down.  
"Chiyo, are you alright?" Ookami asked, placing her hand on her back. Miroku and Sango raised there weapons in sync, eying the woods where Chiyo had appeared lest a demon race out next.  
Chiyo was still for a second or so, then she jerked and jolted her head up, propping herself up on her arms.  
"Was something chasing you? Attacking you?" Koreno asked worryingly, helping her up.  
"No, no, no!!" she cried, shaking her head furiously. "There's something wrong with me!!"  
"What are you talking abo-" Ookami asked, and then she gasped. As Chiyo stepped back and into the light of the fire, everyone gazed at her in shock. Ookami saw her properly for the first time since she had run in.  
"Chiyo...your......" Ookami said weakly, her eyes wide.  
"Your ears are gone!" Koreno finished for her, as the rest stared.  
"And your fangs!" Shippo cried.  
"And your claws!!" Kagome exclaimed.  
Chiyo gazed in terrified shock at the group around her. "I'm not half demon anymore," she whimpered.  
"You're human!!" everyone cried together.

"What...what happened?!" Ookami yelled, as she looked over her friend. "How did this...?!"  
"I don't know!!" Chiyo wailed pathetically, flinging her arms up. Ookami noted her sleeves slipped down to her shoulders and exposed her arms as she raised them. "One moment I was sitting there with a stomach ache, and the next-!!"  
Chiyo suddenly gave a squeak and grabbed onto the sides of her pants abruptly. She then pulled them up, and Ookami saw they looked strangely...massive on her. In fact, her whole outfit seemed to have become twice as large as she was, it was so big. Her sleeves were hanging over her hands so much they were lost in her kimono, and the V-neck had slipped down dangerously low on her chest. The pants gathered at the bottom of her legs in a crumpled heap, smothering her bare feet from view.  
"You're taller when you're half-demon," Ookami breathed quietly, her eyes slowly trailing up to meet Chiyo's. "So now…"  
"I can't even walk two steps without my pants falling down," Chiyo hissed, as she again hitched up her bottoms. "I can't hear, I can't smell, I can't protect myself!!" Chiyo yelled the last part, shaking her head frantically. "What's happening?!"  
"Calm down!" Ookami reasoned, grabbing onto Chiyo's shoulders. "Look, I'm sure there's an explanation…just…"  
"What if a demon attacks?" Chiyo cried. "What'll I do?!"  
"I said calm down, dammit!!" Ookami shouted, and Chiyo cringed.

"Oy, quit whining, will ya?"

Everyone turned towards the new voice coming from behind them, and Chiyo and Ookami's heads smacked into each other as a result. Both girls cursed profoundly and grabbed their heads, glancing up to find an annoyed-looking someone emerging from the dark forest.

"InuYasha!" Kagome called, her face lighting up. There he was; long red kimono,Tessaiga strapped to his waist, crossed arms, scowl plastered on his face…

…long, black hair trailing down his back…

"_That's_ InuYasha?!" Koreno exclaimed, taking a step back. "But, he's-!!"  
"Human too," Miroku finished, and smacked his palm against his forehead. "Of course! Tonight's the night…"  
"The night?" Chiyo repeated, then gasped. "Wait, it's…the new moon tonight?!"  
"Of course!!" Ookami cried, face-palming along with Miroku. "The new moon! That's why!"  
"No wonder InuYasha was in such a rush to get to the village today," Sango added, smoothing back her hair. InuYasha rolled his eyes.  
"Keh! But you guys were too slow, so we had to camp here for tonight. Lousy friends you guys are."  
"But- wait!!" Chiyo wailed, grabbing her bangs and pulling at them crazily. "That doesn't explain-"  
"I said-" InuYasha growled, stomping up to Chiyo, "-quit your _whining_!!" He struck Chiyo on the head with his fist, and Chiyo jerked out of her frantic gestures almost instantly.  
"If you'll excuse us, we need to have a chat," InuYasha hissed, grabbing Chiyo by the arm and dragging her away from the group. InuYasha stomped away from the campsite, Chiyo half stumbling, half sliding behind him as she tried to keep her pants above her waist.  
"Will someone kindly explain _what the heck is going on_?" Koreno asked, looking thoroughly confused. Shippo hopped onto his shoulder lightly to explain.  
"InuYasha is half demon," he began, "so that means he's also half human. Every half demon has a time where they lose their powers and become mortal."  
"For InuYasha, that night's the first night of the lunar month," Kagome continued, still staring at the place where Chiyo and InuYasha had disappeared. "The new moon."  
Koreno paused, taking in the information. "And Chiyo's night is the same?" he asked, and Ookami shook her head.  
"That's the thing- we didn't know she _had_ a night," she answered. "We had no idea."  
"That's why she was so flustered," Sango added.  
"Then she must be very afraid," Koreno said softly, and Ookami turned to him. "If I lost my powers like that, I wouldn't know what to do." He looked forlorn and sympathetic. Ookami stared at him.  
'_Wow, he's nicer than I ever thought he might be_,' she thought. '_It's true what they say about first impressions being totally wrong…_'

* * *

InuYasha burst through the trees into the clearing he had been prior to returning to the campsite. He let Chiyo go finally, and as she fumbled for her balance she lurched forward and fell to the ground for a second time.  
"_Ow_!" Chiyo exclaimed, glaring at InuYasha. "Do you mind being so rough?!"  
"You're an idiot, you know that?" InuYasha growled at her, not bothering either to turn around or answer her question.  
"Shut up! Don't call me that!" she snapped, getting up.  
"But you _are_," he continued harshly. "What were you thinking, yelling out like that? What if someone had heard you, _are you that thick_?"  
"What was I supposed to do?!" she shouted back. "I had – I _have_ – no idea what's going on, and you expect me to just sit there like a good little puppy and deal with it?!"  
"Wasn't it _you_ who said we were the same?!"  
Chiyo abruptly stopped, caught off guard by InuYasha's odd statement. "What?"  
InuYasha swivelled round to face her. Chiyo blinked when she saw his expression was livid.  
"You said that we were the same," he went on, advancing towards her. "When you came here, you became the same as me. And wasn't it you," he growled, "that said you knew all there was to know about us?"  
Chiyo began stepping back, but InuYasha kept stalking towards her. "Shouldn't you of all people know what's going on? Why you've changed on the same night?!" he hissed, his face coming suddenly close to hers. Chiyo gulped, leaning back as far away as she could from him without falling over backwards.  
'_Holy shmickey, he's __**mad**_,' she thought, her mood having changed from pissed to terrified in the span of ten seconds. InuYasha's eyes glared down into her frightened ones.  
"And shouldn't you, of all people," he hissed at her, "know that yelling out like that will put _all of us_ in danger?!"  
Chiyo started. She hadn't thought about that.  
"Both of us are human, which means there's nowhere near as much protection as we would normally have. Do I have to spell it out for you? H-U-M-A-N, _human_. No powers, no claws, no nothing. If any demon attacks us tonight, we're as good as dead! Is that really what you want to happen?"  
Chiyo's mouth opened and closed once, then she glanced away, too cowardly and ashamed to look at him any more. InuYasha paused, then slowly retracted his head from her personal space.  
"In…InuYasha, I…" Chiyo couldn't muster up a decent reply. "I…I didn't mean…I didn't…" She hung her head feebly, kicking at the dirt on the ground tenderly.  
InuYasha's glare relaxed a little, and he sighed in frustration. "I can't protect anyone tonight," he repeated. "And that village where the demon is, with the Shikon shard – it's close."  
Chiyo looked up. "It is?" she asked quietly, her eyes widening, and InuYasha nodded.  
"We're less than half an hour's walking distance from it," he said. "We only just missed getting there today." He looked to the side. "So you freaking out like this isn't what anyone needs right now. You'll be back to normal in the morning, you'll be able to protect yourself, and then we'll get that Shikon shard."  
Chiyo stared at him. "Hey," she said softly. "You…weren't gonna come back tonight, were you."  
InuYasha started, looking back at her. He paused, then shook his head minutely. "No, I wasn't," he replied stiffly. "Didn't want that Koreno guy to see. But cause you had to be a cry baby, I didn't really have a choice, did I?"  
"I- guh, I'm sorry," Chiyo mumbled, running her hand down her face. Once again, InuYasha felt the twinge of guilt pang inside him. Chiyo had yet again apologized to him for something so insignificant, whereas he still hadn't given his apology or gratitude. And it was really starting to bug him.  
'_But now's not the time to be worrying about that,_' he thought, unfolding his arms. "Come one, we should go back," he said to Chiyo, who was rubbing her eyes. He grimaced. "Aw man, please don't tell me you're crying again."  
"No," Chiyo mumbled, frowning. She continued to rub at her eyes. "It's just, my eyes really hurt for some reason…"  
InuYasha peered at her, trying to figure out if she was lying or not. Chiyo drew her hand away from her face, staring at it. Although it was hard to see in the dark, InuYasha could see the tell-tale marks of tears on her hands.  
"I said no crying!" he snapped, but then stopped as Chiyo made a choking sound. InuYasha started, then stepped forward. "Chiyo?" he asked nervously, and then he stiffened. Although his sense of smell was significantly less powerful tonight, he could still pick up a sick, iron-like smell coming from the girl in front of him. He did a double take at what he thought had been tears on her hand.  
"You're…bleeding?!" he said in shock, rushing up to her. Chiyo gave another choke, much harsher than the last one. As she coughed a huge spurt of blood spewed from her mouth, covering her chin completely and dripping heavily onto the ground.  
"Chiyo!!" InuYasha exclaimed, as she began to clutch her chest. "What's wrong with you?!" He saw that the blood wasn't just coming from her open mouth; her eyes were leaking the dark red liquid, running down her face in bloody tears. Suddenly Chiyo retched loudly, and then collapsed onto the anxious boy, unconscious in seconds.  
"Chiyo!!" he cried again, holding her up as best he could. "Chiyo, what's wrong, dammit!!"

"It's no use, boy."

InuYasha jerked at the sound of the voice. He spun round with one fist held up, holding Chiyo with one arm, to face whatever was behind him. Seeing no one, he paused for a split second before glancing up. He jumped and bared his teeth when he spied a human-looking being floating in the air above them.

"She can't hear you," the thing continued, smiling at him. "She's out cold. It's about as useful as talking to a corpse."

"Who the hell are you?!" InuYasha growled, and it was only then that he felt the presence of a demon. "And what have you done to Chiyo?!"  
'_Dammit, why didn't I feel it before?_' he cursed at himself. '_I should've been on guard for demons!_'  
The demon laughed, tossing his head back to the sky. "My name is Sakishima," he told him, grinning and exposing his startling white, pointed teeth. "Although I wouldn't bother remembering it. You'll be as good as dead soon enough, anyway."  
'Bastard,' InuYasha thought, eying Sakishima over. His long, dark blue hair was pinned back in a thick ponytail, trailing all the way down to his thighs in length. He had blood red streaks directly under his eyes, making his black pupils stand out and become even more ominous. His kimono was adorned in different shades of blue and grey, with sashes and ribbons arranged around it in a complicated and flashy manner. On his feet were dark grey slip shoes, and in his left hand he held what seemed to be a solid lump of...cloth?

"Whaddya mean, _good as dead_?" InuYasha snorted. "Don't tell me someone like you thinks he's gonna take me down."  
Sakishima's grin became one without teeth. "You're quiet sure of yourself," he commented, holding up the cloth he held in his hand. "But I do wonder; would you be so tough if your lady friend was to...I don't know, be turned inside out?" Saying this, he clenched his hand around the fabric tightly. Under InuYasha's arm Chiyo gave a heave, then more blood spilled out of her unconscious mouth and eyes. InuYasha's head whipped to her and then back to Sakishima.  
"No- stop! Let her go, dammit!!" he barked, wishing more than ever he was still half-demon and could jump up to slice the demon in two. Sakishima grinned again, then slowly relaxed his grip, Chiyo relaxing in sync. InuYasha finally saw what he held properly through his fingers – it was an almost shapeless toy doll.  
'_Black magic_,' InuYasha thought, panicking. '_As long as he's got that doll, Chiyo will-!_"

"What do you say you just come quietly?" Sakishima asked, and InuYasha frowned. He opened his mouth to growl something back, but suddenly the demon had disappeared. InuYasha tensed for a second before he felt a rush of air slip past him.

"And by quietly, I mean unconscious," a voice whispered into his ear, and before he even had time to turn around, something hard collided with the back of his head, and InuYasha's vision went black.

* * *

Laura: CLIFFHANGERS AGAIN!!!

InuYasha: Dammit!! I'm human!!

Chiyo: So am I!! Why, Laura, why?!

Kagome: Update sooner, Laura!

Laura: Yeah yeah, working on it. There's an Omake below though, hooray!

* * *

Omake...omake.

"What are you talking abo-" Ookami asked, and then she gasped. As Chiyo stepped back everyone gazed at her in shock. Ookami saw her properly for the first time since she had run in.  
"Chiyo...your......" Ookami said weakly, her eyes wide.  
"Your ears are gone!" Koreno finished for her.  
"And your fangs!" Shippo cried.  
"And your claws!!" Kagome exclaimed.  
"And your nose!!" Ookami yelled, pointing dramatically at it.  
"My nose?!" Chiyo repeated, grabbing onto it tenderly. "Teh noes!! What's wrong with it?!!"

"Quit your whining, young whippersnappers!!"

InuYasha chose that moment to burst through the trees, his long white- I mean black hair trailing behind him like a cape.  
"InuYasha, sweetie, you're back!" Kagome cried happily, her face lighting up like a neon sign.  
"That's right, I'm back, baby," he said heroically, smiling smugly. "Now come o'er here and give me a welcome back kiss."  
As InuYasha and Kagome made out right next to them (but nobody seemed to notice because this is an Omake and you don't notice stuff like that in an Omake for some reason cause and Omake is nuts and is the word Omake starting to sound weird to you?) Miroku fainted after seeing Chiyo's nose.  
"I don't feel so good," Chiyo moaned, suddenly looking ten million billion times sicker. Then she finally noticed InuYasha and Kagome (but was the only one to notice ever cause this is an OMAKE), and she projectile vomited- I mean nosebled over everyone.

THE END.

...omake.


End file.
